


The Naked Truth

by Vixx2pointOh



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Aiden & Emma are Sexy AF, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternative Universe - No Arrow, Alternative Universe - No Island, Angst, Complete, F/M, Fluff and Smut, I Know What This Looks Like, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Imperfect People, Innuendo, Legal Jargon, Lust, Oral Sex, Secret Relationship, Sexy Times, Smut, Story Inception, Story within a Story, That's a nice chair you have, That's someone's desk, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Vanilla ice cream is sexy, Who wants Boardroom Sexing, coat check, see what i did there?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-06-05 05:59:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 63,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6692383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixx2pointOh/pseuds/Vixx2pointOh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Naked Truth</p><p>Emma Casey was a fresh-faced barrister with something to prove when she joined the firm of Amellone & Richards.  Aiden Richards was an ambitious criminal defence lawyer with a legacy to live up to both in and out of Court.  </p><p>A fast-paced legal drama where ambition breeds contempt and somewhere between guilt and innocence you find The Naked Truth.</p><p>….Only, that wasn’t real….</p><p>The attraction between co-stars Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak was one that was never meant to be confined to the small screen.</p><p>When life imitates art and lines blur you find The Naked Truth.</p><p>***COMPLETED***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Magnets

**Author's Note:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show. 
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Every chapter title is a song that will feature for some reason within the story. Start notes will provide the artist for each song.
> 
> Also, yes, I know precisely what this looks like....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my Honey-loving DM girls  
> Special thanks to Jo, Jyoti, Christy & Shannon
> 
>  
> 
> Title song:  
> Magnets by Disclosure ft Lorde

 

 _**Let go, we can free ourselves of all we've learned** _  
_**I love this secret language that we're speaking** _  
_**Say it to me, let's embrace the point of no return** _  
_**Let's embrace the point of no return** _

* * *

  
**August 2012**  
**[The Naked Truth]**

Emma Casey stared at the beach wooden panelling of the door just ahead of her, the deposition folder tucked neatly under her arm. This had been an interesting day for her – her first day at the firm of Amellone & Richards, one of the leading criminal defence lawyers in British Columbia.

This wasn’t her dream job, but she was young – painfully young – and she needed a foot in the door anywhere that would accept her. For reasons she was yet to understand, Amellone & Richards was that place.

 _Aiden Richards_  
The name plate in front of her read. The blinds were pulled down on the glass wall of the office so she prayed he couldn’t see her standing there collecting her thoughts.

She had not met him yet, but she knew enough about him. He was the son of the Managing Partner, he was verging on 5 years her senior but he had a resume much more impressive than her own and he was an associate in his own right with a reputation as someone who expected perfection in every aspect of his life.

She took another breath, calmed herself and knocked.

She was expecting a voice to beckon her inward, but instead midway through picking a stray piece of lunch from her teeth the door opened in front of her and she was face to chest with a man who had at least a foot on her own height.

He looked down at her.  
“Black, two sugars” he announced before sliding past her  
“Oh no, I’m not here for that” Emma called after him, trying to match the fast pace he’d adopted down the hall  
“That’s what paralegals do” he called back over his shoulders  
“Ok, but I’m not”  
He turned the corner.  
She was struggling to keep up.  
“See the thing is” she spoke  
He stopped in front of her, she skidded her heels across the carpet a hand in front of her was now resting on his defined chest.  
“Oh um” she pulled her hand away and banished it to her side.  
Blinking she shook the moment from her mind.  
A slight smile broke across Aiden’s face.  
“See I’m not a paralegal, I’m your junior counsel on the Lance case” she had finished her sentence before she realised she was pointing a red pen at him as she spoke.

He barely blinked.  
“Right then” he announced “Still, black, two sugars. My office, 5 minutes” he spoke in concise to the point words, as though he paid for each superfluous word he used in a sentence.  
Before Emma could object a second time, he was off down the hall.

* * *

“CUT!” a voice announced from behind a monitor  
Felicity smiled out of sheer relief as Oliver made his way back to the marked point on the floor.  
“I’m sorry about the hand” she laughed playfully re-enacting her hand on his chest “I honestly thought I was going to fall on my ass” she smiled  
He nodded his agreement.  
“No problem Felicity, welcome to the team” his returned smile was a genuine one

* * *

**[September 2012]**

Oliver was drunk. Straight on the back of drinking an entire bottle of vodka, he had lost every inclination to act like someone who had a damn to give.

Felicity was drunk. Straight on the back of drinking 5 cocktails with names she couldn’t quite remember, she also had lost every inclination to care that her long blond hair was now sporting 3 tiny cocktail umbrellas through it.

It was likely due to the fact both of them were beyond inebriated that they found themselves pawing at each other in an elevator of an LA hotel.

“Ow, fuck” Felicity laughed as one of the cocktail umbrellas stabbed into her scalp when Oliver pushed her against the back of the elevator cab.

He laughed against her neck as he stumbled for no other reason than his footing was spinning in his head. She took hold of the lapels on his leather jacket and swooped him down to her lips.

The pressure between them was palpable. His hand searched up the back of her simple white scope-neck, holding her body tight against his. His free hand roamed up her thigh, pushing the gold mini further up her leg. Even in his drunken state he was abundantly aware that he had found himself longing to touch her thigh ever since they started working together over a month ago.

Their characters had building sexual tension between them, which was now playing out off screen.

His fingers were crawling under her panties when the door opened and an older couple on the foyer of level 10 got an eyeful.

Oliver kicked out at the panel next to the door in a vain attempt to hit the “door close” button – even sober and not engaging in heavy petting it was unlikely he would have made the shot.

Felicity yanked the jacket down his arms. The shape those arms cut in the multitude of business shirts she had seen him in was enough to get her hot and flustered. The night after the second day shooting with him she had had a rather explicit dream about him and those arms rubbing her between her legs, each pressured flex getting her wet without a single inch of penetration.

They stumbled out of the elevator on the 15th floor. He was missing a jacket and the fly on his jeans was open. She was carrying one shoe, the other still on her foot.

As they set foot in the foyer of the 15th floor he picked her up with ease, his hand coming to rest under her ass, her legs wrapping around his waist. He fell back against the wall of the hallway, his bulging erection riding against her thigh as she rocked against him, her back flat against the embroidered wallpaper of the wall behind her.

Her hands rubbed against his neck, titling his head upwards. Her lips met his in a sloppy rush of lips and tongues vying for power. It may have been in drunken release that they were exploring each other so freely, but it was certainly not out of the blue.

They had shared moments that were undeniably electric both when the cameras were rolling and to a greater extent when they weren’t. However, he was seeing someone, Chantelle was her name and Felicity cared very little for her. She was rude to anyone she considered below her, she was inconsiderate to anyone else’s schedule and despite only holding a medium level position within the promotional team of the network she was convinced she had the ability to say who stayed and who went.

It was that inclination that had seen her fired after an altercation with another actor and after Oliver refused to stake his own career on demanding her job be reinstated or he would leave – she very publicly dumped him in front of cast and crew – the day before the main cast were flown out to LA to meet with people in high places.

After deals were negotiated and contracts signed, he and Felicity had taken residence in the downstairs nightclub – that was until she had danced just that little bit too close to him and he had let his hands get just that little bit too close to her.

Everything after that led them to their current position of a state of undress against a wall in the hallway of the 15th floor, vying for control over a heated, messy kiss.

“My room” Oliver panted, stumbling towards the door with the number 1506 on it  
He moaned into her mouth as she rocked her pelvis against him directly over his bulge.  
“Key card” she demanded, littering his face with tiny but forceful kisses  
“Back pocket” he replied, as her skirt rode further up her body, now fully exposing the black panties she was wearing.

She took one hand from around his neck and slid it down into his back pocket which sat firmly against his perfectly rounded ass.

His mouth danced across her neck breathing hot air against her flushed skin with each hastened kiss he lay on her. He pushed her back up against the door, her hand slipping from his pocket and forcing a heavy breath from her mouth. He pushed her t-shirt up, exposing the bra underneath, taking the opportunity he buried his face between her partially exposed breasts, his hot, wet mouth sending a sensation across her chest. Using his body to prop her hard up against the wall he used his free hand to clasp at her breast, a finger and thumb slipping under the fabric of the cup in a expedition to find her hardening nipple. He rolled it between his forefinger and thumb, eager to illicit a response from her, which came in a low hum and a rhythmic grinding of her pelvis against him.

“Oliver” she moaned, breathless as a result of the special attention his mouth was paying to the exposed portion of her breasts “Oliver”  
He grunted in response.  
“We’re on the wrong side of the door” she panted, not in any control of the thrusting motion she was doing against him.  
Finally he seemed to notice their surroundings. Without letting her down he removed the key card from his pocket and slid it up her exposed thigh, grazing against it until he reached the card slot.

With her still up against it, the door clicked open into the dimly room. Oliver hoisted her into his arms and kicked the door closed in a display of impressive balance for someone as impaired as he was.

Felicity felt his tense biceps against her and her mind wandered back to her dream about them, she licked her lips at the thought of it, an action she didn’t think he would notice.

“Was that for me?” Oliver grinned setting her down on the bed.  
Sitting up on her elbows, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed she smiled playfully at him. The quantity of alcohol consumed had removed her usual quiet demeanour, releasing a side of her that Oliver had not seen before.

He hovered above her, an arm on the bed either side of her. Her fingers traced the lines of his bulging muscle as she bit her lip and pondered how in might feel rubbing against her nether region.  
“I had a dream about this one” Felicity spoke, a nail dragging across the taunt skin of his left bicep.  
Oliver flexed his muscle, a grin forming across his devilishly handsome face.

Felicity moaned, falling back onto the bed.  
Oliver pushed her top upwards again, over her breasts putting it to rest under her armpits. He drew his tongue across her flat but deliciously soft stomach. Between the soft kisses, which he made a path with up her core, he whispered “tell me what happened in this dream”

The pace had slowed from the heated, rushed exchange that had taken place moments before. Perhaps it was the alcohol-fuelled buzz wearing off or perhaps it was the realisation that after a two month long game of slow burning foreplay they found themselves on the precipice of finally enjoying it.

With the knowledge that actions often spoke louder than words, Felicity drew a leg towards her chest, adjusted her body and slid the same leg down the other side of his arm. That arm now in between her legs.

Her teeth pinched a line across her bottom lip, her body language providing all the clues he needed.  
He pulled her back towards him, his arm now firm against her pubic bone, still clothed in her black satin panties.

Her hips were positioned against him, his hand now underneath her backbone. He flexed his arm against her three times, the reverberating sensation cascading against her vagina. He rubbed his arm up and down, his biceps taunt against her. Gyrating her hips she felt a surge of pleasure forming in the depth of her core. He rubbed faster now, the soft satin starting to feel wet against him – a fact that in itself was enough to make him grow.

Watching her writhing body enjoying each flex he gave her was sensually erotic to him. She was uninhibited in her enjoyment of the simple but powerful movement he was giving her. He watched her eyes flutter and her teeth scrape across her perfectly pouted bottom lip as pleasured breaths broke the silence.

Her legs tightened around him as she felt the wave inside her building, threatening to crash into white water at any moment. Felicity was sure she was cursing under her breaths, her panted, rushed breaths, but she didn’t care, this was an enjoyment that was worth any slip from ladylike decorum.  
“Oliver” she moaned, drawing him closer to watch her mouth curve around every syllable of his name.  
“I need” she was trying to stem the wave, her breathing hampered “I want you inside me” Felicity gushed, her body so close she was unsure how much longer she could hold it back.

It was all the invitation he needed. As he stood back he pulled her black panties down her leg and off the foot still sporting the black basic heel. Placing a hand between her thighs he could feel her ready for him, wet and waiting.

Stepping back again he finished removing his pants – a task that had been started in the elevator cab.

Oliver stole a moment to look down at Felicity, she was young, 10 years his junior, but she was immeasurably sexy.

Like a freeze frame interruption he thought over the time they had spent together that had led them so willingly to this moment. Those times that had tickled at the chemistry between them....the lingering glances, the unforced banter between characters and of course the ease with which they portrayed the heightening sexual tension between Aiden and Emma.

Each moment had led them to this here and now....the the point of no return.


	2. What Would Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title song:  
> What Would Happen by Meredith Brooks

_What would happen if we kissed_  
_Would your tongue slip past my lips_  
_Would you run away, would you stay_  
_Or would I melt into you_  
_Mouth to mouth, lust to lust_  
_Spontaneously combust_

  
**Mid August 2012**  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“Tomorrow I’ll need you to wear the black skirt with the zip in the front” Aiden spoke, not looking up from the pile of evidential papers in front of him.  
It took Emma a minute to register he was talking to her.

They had been working in close proximity for the last 2 weeks since the first day he gave her his coffee order. They barely spoke about anything other than the case before them – the case that was set down for the first day tomorrow.  
“I’m sorry, my what?” Emma queried placing the chopsticks down on her half finished carton of donburi.

Aiden sighed as he put the pen he was holding down, folded his well manicured fingers into each other and looked up at Emma.

She blinked at the attention, pushing her glasses nervously. He barely registered her presence but when he did it was unnerving for her the extent to which he commandeered a room and those in it, namely her at this point in time.  
“Tomorrow, at opening arguments I want you in the black skirt you wore last Wednesday” he spoke clearly as though he was ordering a well known lunch order.  
“I understand the literal words you’re saying, what I’m struggling with is why you’re instructing me as to what I should wear” she leant over the boardroom table and clicked off the pen he’d put down – in was an unintentional habit she had.

Seconds later she thought more about what he said.  
“And how do you know what I wore last Wednesday?” her tone was curt  
“Ms Casey, I’m a details man” he responded casually before returning to the papers in front of him “Are you finished with the phone logs, I need to know the last call Mr Lance made” his segway back to the case was seamless, but Emma wasn’t backing down.

“I’m trying to figure out if this is some sort of initiation thing you do to new lawyers, is there a camera here?” she stood up and looked mockingly behind the potted fern in the corner of the room “because surely there is no other reason counsel would suggest what clothes I should wear”

“Ms Casey-“  
“Emma”  
“Emma” he leant back against the black chair “a jury trial is like an acting gig, it’s less about what we as counsel say and much more about how we present what we say, that includes what we wear. The reason I requested you as junior counsel on this case-”  
“You requested me?”  
This was the first time she was hearing this.  
“Of sorts, I requested the youngest one we had preferably blond with the ability to wear a short skirt”  
There were about five different offensive things he had just said and her face showed her struggle about which one to bring up first.  
“You, just, what?” she couldn’t even form the words as she paced the back wall of the room.

Aiden just seemed amused.  
“As I was saying, the trial judge, Jackson is known to have a thing for pretty young blonds, that is why you’re here. I also handpicked four middle aged men at jury selection who will likely pay more attention to you than the facts , that works in our favour. Queen’s counsel is a 50 year old man, his junior counsel is a hefty woman, most male eyes will be on you, except juror 10 I suspect you’re not his type. That is precisely why I’m asking you to wear that skirt”

Emma tapped the pen in her hand against her temple – just so many things she should take issue with.  
There was one particular point that she couldn’t let go “What skirt are you talking about?”  
Aiden stood from the chair and removed his phone from his back pocket. Unlocked it, flicked his finger across the screen then held it out for her to see “that one. Also, keep the glasses, it makes you look smarter”

She looked down at his phone. It was a photo of her in a black midi skirt with a zip detail in the front, white blouse, red jacket.  
“You have a photo” she gaped her finger pointing between him and the phone.  
“I’m a details man” he barely seemed bothered, unlike her  
“For your information the glasses are real and I am smart, I don’t just look it. And for another thing, you can’t just take pictures of me, that breaks like a lot of laws”  
“Name one” he slouched back down in the chair, his hands folded over each other and his legs outstretched in front of him  
“Invasion of privacy” she retorted  
“You weren’t in private, you were in public”  
“Storing my image without my knowledge”  
“But you know and you haven’t requested I delete it”  
“Well, delete it then”  
He slid his finger across the screen of his phone and tapped a demand.  
“I’m surprised about the glasses though Emma, most wear ones for show, I have a pair when I need to look a little less handsome” he smirked  
She wasn’t even going to touch that comment yet.

“Are there more pictures?” she tried to grab his phone  
“I’m legally obliged to tell you there is” he smiled  
She folder her arms and tapped her heel on the floor “delete those too”  
“I hear your request, but I also legally have 7 days to oblige your request” he leant in towards her “So the black skirt tomorrow yes?”

“Why that skirt?”  
She instantly regretted asking  
“Emma, back to work please” he gestured towards the chair she had left previously.  
She almost pouted as she slunk back into the chair and stared at the papers she was highlighting.

“If you need to know, it’s because you have a fairly good ass, that particular skirt shows it off, especially when you wear it with heels. It’s showy without being akin to a streetwalker”  
She slammed the purple highlighter down on the table  
“You’re offended?” he questioned, his face showing a small amount of surprise  
“Yes, I am” she said between gritted teeth “I’m not be piece of meat for men like you to ogle and rate” she gathered the telephone records up into her arms  
“Most ladies would be flattered”  
He was genuinely surprised by her reaction, the interest in her attire and noticing her assets would have made most girls her age around the office swoon at the attention

“You will see Mr Richards, that I am unlike most girls” she walked towards the door “I’ll finish recording the dates and number correlations in a different office” she leant against the door, pushing it open it with her body “and what’s more, I’ll have you know I do not have a fairly good ass” she paused holding the door open with her arm against it “I have a damn good one”

She stepped back from the glass door and walked down the hall, ending the scene.

***-*-*-***

A hairstylist stood behind Felicity primping her for the next scene as Oliver relaxed against the wall of the office building they filmed in.  
“What was with the pen?” Oliver laughed, referring to her leaning over to turn it off  
Felicity smiled as the stylist teased the crown of her hair “I’m sorry, I just thought Emma needed a ‘thing’” she laughed making the single quotations in the air “I personally play with my hair” she laughed charismatically

“I like it, this playing off each other is great, makes it seem more realistic” Oliver agreed, his demeanour Felicity noted was removed from the distant one Aiden portrayed.

The stylist left as silently as she arrived, leaving only Felicity in earshot of Oliver’s words.  
“I’m enjoying our scenes together” he smiled, truthfully he was slightly enamoured by the freshness she brought to the character, it was free from rigidity, it was effortless and he felt himself buying into the character hook, line and sinker.

The call came to get their positions for the next scene.  
“For the record” he smiled closing any distance between the “I would say you have an exceptional ass” he winked as he left her with that note and left to take his position.  
She found herself smiling at his words, oblivious to the eyes in the distance that had seen the interaction take place and was none too happy with it.

***-*-*-***

“So, you’re the new hire I’ve heard so much about?” a voice spoke from behind as Felicity sat with her face buried in a book  
Closing the book around her finger to remember the page, Felicity looked up and met the staunch unfamiliar face of a lady older than her.  
“Hi, I’m Felicity..” she started extended her hand with a genuine smile  
“I know who you are” Chantelle replied, her arms staying in their position – folded across her chest  
Felicity left her hand to linger in the empty space for a few more seconds before she drew it down.  
“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met”  
Chantelle sighed, a prominent frown line deepening across her brow “Chantelle, I work for the network and” she poised leaning slightly closer to Felicity “I’m Oliver’s girlfriend”

Felicity was a smart girl, she understood the deliberate tone in which that was said, she derived the thoughts between the lines. _He’s mine, stay away._

Before waiting for any response Chantelle turned on her black heels and strutted away.

“Next time she’ll probably try and pee on you” a young girl laughed, flipping over the back of the couch “Thea Queen, Oliver’s sister, just here to annoy him”  
“Felicity Smoak, so I’m not the only one to get that little chat?” Felicity smiled  
“Oh no, I got the same stare down before she realised I was his sister” Thea laughed, tucking her long brown hair behind her ear.  
Felicity noted the girl wouldn’t have been much younger than her, maybe even reasonably close in age but her youthful appearance could have put her in a 5 year radius of that.

“Hey sis” Oliver smiled placing a quick kiss on Thea’s head in a brotherly gesture.  
She swatted him away.  
“You have 20 minutes for lunch?” she questioned  
Oliver nodded his response.  
“Felicity, you should come” Thea said as she stood from the couch as she coyly patted Oliver’s arm

Oliver’s steel blue eyes caught onto Felicity’s almost making her uncomfortable at his gaze.  
“Felicity, would you like to join us?”

  
***-*-*-***

Felicity padded around the trailer, the script tucked under her arm as she went over the lines in her head. There was a knock on the door.

She opened the door to find Oliver on the other side of it.  
“Hey” she smiled leaning up against the trailer door.  
“Page 57 is going to be interesting” he nodded towards the script under her arm.

She knew exactly what he was talking about, the script called for Aiden to kiss Emma not as a romantic gesture, but a power play. It was an unwanted and unreturned kiss that Emma would slap him for.

The script specifically called for the kiss to be unexpected, heated and forceful.

“Maybe we could practice the moments around it?” Oliver questioned, his tone less assured than the one he adopted to play Aiden.  
Felicity nodded, stepping aside to allow him into the trailer.  
She felt oddly nervous around him, normally vicarious in nature he made her feel a different way, like she would be tongue tied and bashful – traits that were not ordinarily part of her personality.

“So, you’re...uh, Emma is, mad at Aiden” Oliver starts, his hand twitching against his leg, a trait Felicity had noted he did when he was remembering lines.  
“We can’t really blame Emma, Aiden is a bit of a wanker” Felicity smiled closing the door with a click  
“He’s definitely in a class of his own” Oliver chuckled, the blueness of his eyes glinting in the overhead lights.  
Felicity felt herself drawn to him in many ways, on the outside – the first level – he was overwhelming good looking, his chiselled features gave off a strong lascivious desire inside of her, but the kindness in his eyes betrayed a different more emotive feeling, she had developed a crush on her co-worker, her unavailable, much older co-worker.

He felt himself staring at her but he couldn’t divert his gaze. She hadn’t been to make up yet, her hair was loose around her shoulders and her face was bare revealing her much younger age than the one she played on the show. He watched a soft wave bounce across her collarbone as she studied the script in her hands. He couldn’t explain the attraction, they barely knew each other, but he felt himself drawn in by her smile and enamoured with her natural beauty.

He wanted to be in character now, Aiden would have no reservations acting on the carnal desires Oliver felt welling inside him.

“Do you want to kiss me?” he heard her say, her dark eyelashes fluttering across her milky complexion  
He realised there was likely context with what she said, but he had not heard what she had said before.

More deliberately than he would admit, Oliver melded into character as he reached out and took Felicity by the neck. In a sweeping motion he pulled her up towards him, his hand cupping the back on her neck. His lips were on hers, deeply and ravenously hard against hers, his boundaries swapping between a character and the man behind his own eyes. He felt her hesitation, he felt her hands on his shoulders fighting to push him away, his mind lingered for a moment on whether this was her following script or whether she too was wrestling with the balance as he was.

Only her lips betrayed her, they moved in sync with his not at odds, as Emma’s would have done. His stubble was surprisingly soft against her chin, his lips were engulfing as she felt the power behind them – was he just playing a character.

She felt herself needing to pull away, to break the trance his lips were putting her under.

With a force she didn’t think was within her she pushed him away, breaking the lock his lips had on hers. Desperate to hide the enjoyment she got from the heated exchange of the moment passed she raised her hand “and then I would slap you” she breathed, her voice drawn as she tried to still her pounding heartbeat.  
He nodded, the taste of her strawberry flavoured chapstick lingering seductively on his lips. _Just for show_ he reminded himself – for no other purpose than to chant it till he believed it.

  
***-*-*-***

**[September 2012: Hotel Room]**

  
He remembered that kiss, if he thought about it long enough he could still taste the strawberry chapstick as he stole the moment to look at her lying on the bed in front of him.

He was staring, hesitant – she may have been drunk, but she could still recognise the expression on his face. She sat up on her elbows, her body still riding the wave of pleasure his bicep alone had given her.

“Oliver?” she didn’t know how to finish that question.  
He knew he was staring, watching her glistening thighs rub against each other, her gold miniskirt riding above her naval, her hair beautifully dishevelled across her shoulders. He wanted her, probably more than he was willing to admit, but he knew if they did this there would be no going back.

She ran her fingers under the neckline of the white t-shirt, Oliver watching each inch her fingertips took across her skin, she was toying with him, drawing him in as her middle and index finger figure skated across her chest.

A broad smile materialised across his face, perhaps it was the vodka, perhaps it was the tantalizing way her lips pouted apart, either way he was done analysing.

He crawled onto the bed, an arm either side of her, her body wedged underneath him. He started just above her knee, his lips decorating her skin in rhythmic kisses, inching up her inside thigh, his hand massaging the other thigh. She twisted at the sensation his wet mouth made against the warm skin. She felt each movement his unshaved chin made against her, the tantalising nature of it burgeoning the further up her thigh he got.

When he reached her upper thigh her silken skin was dotted with her wetness. He blew soft, cold breaths against her warmed area, eliciting a soft breathy moan to pass over her lips from the depths of her throat.

He was enjoying every piece of her, each curve his hands held felt like a new and exciting sensation. Her body was eager underneath him, her hips spontaneously rising against him, her body giving in freely to the convulsions his cold breath and warm lips caused against her most sensitive of areas gave her.

The alcohol had certainly not dulled the sensitivity with which she was feeling every movement he was making.

The slowness of his actions was far removed from the tenacity of his actions in the elevator. The slowness was all well and good for moments, but now, here, cocktail umbrellas in her hair, a skirt riding up like a belt and her body aching with desire she wanted the carnal rush back. She wanted him inside of her, roughly and thoroughly – before anyone had any second thoughts.

It was time she took what she wanted.

She slid out from under him and stood up off the bed. She removed the one remaining shoe she had on. He twisted his body up onto his palms, his feet still planted on the floor. She pulled the t-shirt from her body and threw it behind her, it landed on the desk to the far end of the room.

He sat up further as she stood between his legs. She pushed him down onto the bed in a manner similar to the rushed moments they had in the hallway. Sitting herself atop him, her body raised slightly above his thighs, rubbing against his exposed erection, her wetness gliding over his shaft mixing with his own precum. She ran a hand eagerly across his chest, her nails catching against his skin, he winched but the hurried passion of it was a enticing turn on as she removed her bra, dropping it to the side of the bed.

She steadied her hand in the dip of his shoulder muscle, anchoring her balance there, her other hand tousled through her hair, combing it through her fingertips. She arched her back, holding him just outside her, his tip hovering the interval between in and out. She dropped her head down, her lips making lush contact with the warm sensitive area of his neck. She captured his skin into her mouth, her teeth drawing across it as she slid him inside her.

She felt the swelling of her body filling up around him, he was large, full and long. She felt him deep, like he was towards her naval. She settled herself atop him, her breaths short against his neck as she gently rocked him inside her.

His hands skirted a course down each curve of her back, until they reached the round of her perfectly pert ass. In a manner that matched her attack on his neck he grabbed her tightly, pulling her down onto him as he thrust upwards, sending every inch of him inside her. She was tight around him and each movement she made rubbed against his head inside her, massaging him against her walls, sending his eyes rolling back with determined pleasure.

As he thrust upwards again, bouncing her against his muscular thighs, she gasped, a noise that made him wild. She leant back against his raised knees, elongating her torso as he plunged himself deeper inside, each rhythmic pulse sending a ripple of titillation starting at her core and flowing in both directions from that median.

The sight of her atop him, her lips parted – the once present pink shade of lipstick now faded and smeared slightly – the curve of her figure – smooth, silken and akin to Hollywood beauties of the bygone eras – the way her face freely expressed her enjoyment – in her flushed cheeks and curved smile, the yellow lights of the bedside lamps lit up her skin, shadowing the curves of her breasts in a way that made him want to seek them out. Leaving a hand to continuing riding the movement of her ass he glided the other eagerly over her breasts, following the guidelines the shadows now cast on his hands. He toyed with her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it and delicately pinching it to evoke a pleasured moan from her.

Faster he thrust himself inside her, his length catching her most sensitive area sending a spike of euphoria through her clitoral area. She moaned his name between her quickened breaths as she felt him pulsating inside her. She held her core tightly, centering herself, pulling herself tightly around him.

He felt her grip around him, her walls closing in around him as her free hand ran behind him, massaging the area just under the base of his penis. The feeling was engulfing, catapulting him to the edge of his release.

He pulled her down, rougher than he meant to, but he was desperate to kiss her. Their mouths fell upon each other, racing, pressured in a game of to and fro. A hand roamed through her hair, knotting it around his fingers as her nails dug into his shoulders, her body riding atop his in a wholly satisfying way.

He felt her release around him, the warmth of her melting over his penis still riding in and out of her. He moaned her name against her mouth and he held her tightly against him, feeling each subtle twitch her body made around him. Holding her he thrust once, twice, a third time at which point his release shot inside her like a carbonated drink that had been shaken up. She felt it like an eruption as he held himself there, leaving them both panting, quivering and oblivious to just how drunk they were and how little inhibitions they had left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to the honey crew xox


	3. Stay With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Song:  
> Stay With Me  
> Sam Smith  
> (Madilyn Bailey version)

**_Guess it's true, I'm not good at a one-night stand_ **  
**_But I still need love 'cause I'm just a man_ **  
**_These nights never seem to go to plan_ **  
**_I don't want you to leave, will you hold my hand?_ **

The sun was bright, like tiny daggers into his eyes, sending a shockwave to his brain – which was barely awake, and none too happy about it. His head was pounding, he could see the alcohol seeping from his pores. It took him 2 minutes before he realised he was naked in the bed – that wasn’t particularly surprising, he often slept naked.

It took him another 2 minutes to realise he was in a hotel room – he thought it was his room as his eyes struggled to adjust to the light streaming in through the uncovered windows.

It was only another minute until he turned in the bed and saw the figure beside him – well her back anyway.

Her back was exposed to him, the sheet wrapped around her would have barely covered her front as it only just skimmed over her hips, showing a daring amount of her very naked, very smooth looking ass. Her tousled blond hair cascaded down her back and spilling onto the pillow underneath her.

He was trying his best to remember what happened last night and who the impressively shapely naked woman beside him in the bed was. He had very little recollection and nothing around the room helped him. As quietly as he could, he sat up on his palm and hovered above her, leaning till he could see her face.

When he saw her soft pouted lips, blotted with last night’s shade of lipstick, and the smooth profile of her barely-rouged cheeks and nose he instantly recognised her and settling back into his side of the bed, the only reaction he could manage was a barely auditable “oh shit”

He knew from the way he _felt_ – sticky and spent – that they had most definitely had sex, but he was still struggling to believe it. Sure, he had been attracted to her – their back and forth on set had set tongues wagging, he had thought about her in _that way_ most certainly – but still, she was 10 years his junior, doing the math she was barely 21 – close in age to his younger sister.

His eyes widened – she was only 21. While he didn’t think it necessarily likely given the way she looked, he couldn’t help but worry that he may have taken something from her in a drunken stupor, taken _it_ – he couldn’t even manage to say the word to himself.

He leant over her again – to check maybe? – he didn’t know his reasons, but he knew it was Felicity. He had slept with his much younger co-star and no doubt soon she would wake up just as awkwardly as he had.

He contemplated gathering his things and leaving – but that would be worse right? This wasn’t an unknown hook up, he knew this girl, he worked with her; and – if he admitted it – occasionally dreamt about her; he couldn’t just leave. It had completely slipped his mind that this was also his room.

He sat silently on the bed, his mind contemplating what – if anything – he should do. He didn’t want her to wake up and see him sitting there like a stunned mullet, but he also couldn’t leave and he most certainly couldn’t lie down and pretend to be asleep – no his mind was a rush of too much to even pretend to be asleep.

His mind flicked to another train of thought – as if someone had switched tracks at a railway junction and sent him off down a siding – he had slept with her; something he had, more than once, found himself thinking about; but he couldn’t remember a damn thing. She was incredibly attractive in every facet of the word but he had no memory of it. He found himself watching the curve of her back and hips as they spurred a little in the bed beside him. They danced slowly in a semi-circle, the sheet falling further down her body giving him a full view of her beautifully silken ass.

He felt a stiffening between his legs and an urge to rub his hand across her body, following the curve of it like it was a road and his hand was a car. He tried to stifle his thoughts, tried to tear his eyes away from her, but his body was betraying him and he could do nothing to stop the erection forming under the sheets and he most certainly couldn’t pull his eyes away; in fact he was certain they were widening , verging on popping out of his head like a cartoon character.

Even with his eyes locked on to her, he missed the swift movement she made to roll over to face him. Her eyes set with confusion.

She had woken up slowly a minute before, heavy-lidded and weary of the traitorous pounding in her head and the strange dry consistency of her mouth. Her eyes locked on to the wall directly in her eye line, the décor looked like her room, but something wasn’t right, she was certain her bed faced the other wall.

She came to a sudden realisation that she was naked, very, very naked. This was unusual, she didn’t sleep naked – it had always been a fear of hers that if she ever did she would need to evacuate her apartment building and she would forget to put clothes on in a sleep-stupor. She lowered her eyes to look down her body, she bit her lip when her eye caught sight of the very distinctive love bite on her breast. _Where the hell did that come from?_

It was at this point when the rest of her body started to wake up, rolling her hips gently she felt a humming pain between her legs. It wasn’t sharp and it wasn’t necessary bad – it was just like she was suddenly very aware of her vaginal area, inside and out.

She had had sex, probably vigorous sex – _with a man?_ She almost scoffed at the question she presented herself with. Given the laborious way her inside walls felt, there had been a man involved – _unless it was a vibrator?_ She shook her irrelevant questions from her head. She may have been hung over but she knew her body well enough and last time she checked vibrators didn’t give hickeys – or ejaculate; which she was pretty certain was the sticky sensation she could now feel between her legs and that ever so slight salty smell that was pricking at her nose.

She felt movement in the bed beside her. _Shit_ whoever it was, he was awake.  
She didn’t actually want to know, maybe she could pretend to be asleep and he would leave; only she knew this wasn’t her room.

She contemplated leaving but she would need her clothes which would still lead to an awkward morning moment where they both tried to figure out who the other one was.

 _Only_ … she thought on it for a minute, there was another scent dancing across her nostrils, it was a familiar one, a certain musk that reminded her of the cold ocean near her childhood home. It was his scent – _she had slept with him?_

 _Shit_  
She needed to know.

She flipped over in a hurried movement, yanking the sheet up to cover her very naked body as she went. Sure enough, starring down at her with the widest eyes she had ever seen him display was Oliver _fucking_ Queen. She had slept with her much older co-star.

“So, that happened” she finally broke the silence between them, nodding towards his lower region – when she pulled the sheet against her, she had inadvertently exposed his very naked and very erect penis.

“Shit” he muttered pulling the blanket up to cover his exposure “I’m sorry, last night, about” his head was now failing to formulate a simple sentence. He took a breath and tried again “I’m sorry about last night, are you” he paused, this was awkward “okay?”

 _He was sorry?_ She pondered over his choice of words – should she read into that?  
“I’m fine” she nodded, struggling to let her eyes settle anywhere  
“It shouldn’t have happened, I’m sorry” he said sheepishly

There was that word again – sorry – sorry meant, to her, regret.  
“I’m not” she said – her intent was to keep those words internal only, but they had betrayed her – traitorous bastard of a brain.

He looked at her unsure of the meaning in her words.

She sighed, sitting up in the bad, the soft white sheet wrapped around the front of her and held tightly under her arms.  
“I just mean, we don’t have to be sorry” she lowered her eyes, she was sounding like an idiot

He suddenly realised what she was referring to – his use of the word ‘sorry’, twice. Sorry meant regret. He was feeling a lot of things, embarrassed, shocked, still aroused and probably slightly ashamed – but he didn’t feel regret; especially now given the fact he knew she didn’t either.

“I’m not sorry it happened, I’m just” he didn’t even know what he was trying to say “I feel like, maybe” what was he trying to convey? “I don’t want you to feel” – nope that direction wasn’t working either. He literally had no coherent train of thought to express.

“You’re sorry because you think you took advantage of me?” she questioned, picking at a barely-existent hangnail  
“Mmm, yeah” he nodded  
“Well, you needn’t” that was as close to what she wanted to say as she could get

Truth was, she was pretty enamoured with him, she had caught his glances on set and they had stirred something inside her. There was an undeniable connection she felt with him, she knew it was highly possible it was just lust, but she found herself thinking about him more and more – ridiculous , given the short time span they had spent together – but she would see something in a shop and think of him, how much he would enjoy it, she would hear a joke and desperately want to repeat it to him and since that moment in the trailer when he kissed her against the door, she had imagined him ripping clothes from her body and taking every ounce of her.

The only thing she regretted right now was that he had apparently done that and she had no memory of it.

But she got a sense that despite his stammering that he wasn’t sorry, that he did in fact regret last night and she had a sudden pang of embarrassment at her assumption he had felt the same way about her.

Suddenly the air around her felt heavy against her skin and her eyes were about to give way to something she didn’t want him to see. It was stupid – why did she feel the urge to cry? She cursed herself for it.

“I should go” she said abruptly standing from the bed pulling the sheet with her  
She looked around her for clothes which she found littered across the room, balancing them and the sheet pressed against her she ducked into the bathroom – refusing to look at him, in case it made this already awkward situation worse.

Oliver watched as the door of the bathroom closed with a thud. He had an overwhelming feeling he had just made things even more awkward. He was trying to ignore the pounding of the looming hangover headache and formulate his thoughts.

He certainly didn’t regret sleeping with Felicity, although the manner of it could have been better; given he didn’t remember anything. Chantelle had broken up with him – he had no reason to feel guilty. Only he did – not because of Chantelle, but because of Felicity – there was a growling undertone in his mind that insisted she deserved better than this.

Felicity took a breath behind the door, she wanted to shower, to clean this whole embarrassing turn of events off every inch of her skin, but she needed to get out of here. She rolled her head across the door chastising herself for the very poor decision-making process that led her to this moment.

The ideal of putting her clothes from last night back on to take the walk of shame up one floor and down the hall was horrifying, but she couldn’t just stay here all day.

Now fully dressed, her shoes in her hand – _typically classic walk of shame_ she found herself thinking – she took a deep breath and opened the door.

He had slipped pants on in her absence and was standing by the window in the room, pensively looking out across the city below.

“So, I’m, uh, going to go” she muttered, gesturing towards the door, even though he wasn’t looking her way  
She nodded to herself and headed towards the door.  
“Felicity, wait” Oliver spoke as he turned slowly to face her, his pecs subconsciously twitching as he took a few steps towards her  
She drew her eyes up from the ground in a short motion, taking a quick inhale on her way “Yes?”  
“I don’t regret what happened, but-“  
She held a finger up to her face, her nose crinkling at the ‘ _but_ ’  
“It’s fine, it’s no problem really, _this_ happens all the time” she shook her head against her words “I mean, _this_ doesn’t happen all the time” she gestured her hand back and forth between them “in fact this would be the first time _this_ has happened to me” she awkwardly placed her weight from one foot to the other “I just mean, people sleep together, it happens, it’s no big deal” she cringed again at the use of ‘big’, it drew her mind to his penis – which she had seen this morning and which was bulging in his pants at this moment “I just mean, it’s fine, we’re fine, you were good” she paused, scratching her head “are, good. You are good, I am good, we’re good. Right, ok” she was about ready to die from the colossal case of verbal diarrhoea she was having.

Oliver grabbed her arm as she went to turn around, turning her back towards him  
“But, I wish it had been in different circumstances, I care about you, a great deal” nothing he was saying seemed to really display how he was feeling, so he made a decision.

He leant in towards her, dropping his knees slightly to be closer to her height, his head tilted towards her and he kissed her. Softly, sweetly – not as any character, but just as himself, Oliver Queen – the guy who was now kissing his co-star.

This kiss she would remember – there was no script in her hand, no alcohol dulling their inhibitions – this was a kiss that he instigated and that she was now fully involved in as her lips meshed with his, delicately dancing across each other, never fully breaking away, his hand on her arm and her hand now skating up his. This was unscripted in life – this was real, Felicity Smoak kissing her co-star.

***-*-*-***

It was a strange feeling walking into walk that Monday morning, in fact for Felicity the whole weekend was a bit strange – good, but strange.

After the kiss they had parted ways to ensure that they made their flight back. Nothing was said about it on the plane – it was new and both of them were processing it – but half way through the flight he had unfolded his arms from his chest and placed it on hers, his fingers toying with hers in a simple but meaningful display of affection.

They had shared a taxi home and he had insisted on walking her to her apartment door, where – leaning against the door frame and looking decidedly nervous, he asked her if she would like to get some dinner the next night – Monday night – tonight.

And so that is why, on this bright cheery Monday morning it felt awkward walking into work, especially given she was very aware of the scenes they would share today.

  
***-*-*-***  
**[September 2012]**  
**[The Naked Truth]**

Aiden paced his well-known path around his glass desk – from the potted fake plant to the back of his chair, the a spot next to the second window from the right, up to the suede chairs in the upper right corner of the room, past the light wooden door to the bookcase in the left and back down to the potted fake plant.

The jury should have been back by now.

Emma was making her own path outside his office, desperate to know if he had heard anything, but not game enough to come straight out and ask him. In fact since that time he kissed her and she slapped him, she wasn’t really game to talk to him at all.

It was awkward – she wasn’t necessary angry at him, more annoyed at the bravado he displayed in assuming he could just kiss her and she would be fine with that.

In her third – maybe fourth – walk past his office he pointed to her through the glass wall and summoned her inside.

She opened the door and stepped into his office.  
“You’re pacing” he said abruptly  
“So are you” she retorted, a brief smile flicking across her face  
“I’m pacing my office, you’re pacing the hall, it’s distracting, you need to stop” he was behind his chair now in his continuous loop  
“Distracting you from what? Your pacing?” she laughed  
Before he reached the suede chairs he stopped and looked across the room at her, arms folded across her chest, her legs on display in a short but deceptively modest black dress cinched at the waist with a silver belt.

Aiden broke his path and walked close to her.  
“I know what you’re doing” he coyly remarked  
She shrugged; fully aware of the implications in his chosen words and tone.  
It was the side glances, the little bit slower she walked past his office, the smile at the corner of his mouth when he noticed her, the way his eyes lingered anywhere on her body but her eyes – it was a long drawn out game of straight up office flirting.

“Do you think he did it?” Emma asked, changing the conversation to what was actually playing on her mind  
“Lance? Would it make a difference?” he almost laughed, walking around behind her  
“It’s a yes or no question” she remarked, her soft pink lips turning into each other  
“I don’t represent people only if I think they’re innocent, I do it because it needs to be done”

His tone was cumbersome on her ears, it felt like he was mocking her.  
“Surely you want to believe in the people you represent” she followed him towards the bookcase

“I couldn’t care less” he laughed, he was mocking her and it was infuriating “and Emma, you shouldn’t either”  
“At what stage was it that you started becoming a right prick, or were you born that way?” she turned on her heels and headed for the door

He grabbed her arm, pulling her backwards.  
“It’s foolish of you to think that we could only represent the innocent”  
“And it’s hard hearted of you to refuse to believe that some of them might be”  
“You’re naive” his voice raised a decibel  
“And you’re arrogant”  
“And you’re doe eyed”  
Her arms folded tighter around her chest  
“And you’re –“

She never got to finish her sentence, his lips attacking hers, pushing her against the bookshelf. His hand skirted up her leg, gripping at the curve of her thigh. His tongue darted around her mouth, tasting the sweet flavour of her lip gloss. Her nails scratched the back of his neck, simultaneously pulling him closer and pushing him away.

Someone yelled _cut_ , but the two never parted.

His kiss deepened, hungering for her, longing for the feeling of her soft lips on his.

A second call for _cut_ went unregistered to them.

She ran her fingers up the back of his neck, combing through his hair, pushing her body up against him, both oblivious to the people now starting to stare.

It was the final, loud, call to _cut_ that broke them apart. Flushed with embarrassment and both attempting to mask the sexual palpitation between them.

***-*-*-***

“So are you ready?” Oliver was nervously leaning against the door of Felicity’s trailer.  
They had avoided talking about that kiss, but they were both well aware that it had set tongues wagging.

Felicity nodded as she grabbed her bag and took a breath.  
There was a distinctive air of nerves between them, the type that comes with first dates and little crushes. Despite their onscreen bravado and off screen drunkard escapades, this was different, this was real.

They started their walk towards a nearby Italian restaurant, the sound of her shoes on the cobblestones underfoot the only sound between them.

He wanted to hold her hand as it swung dangerously close to his. In his mind this was ridiculous, he was 30 years old and he felt like a teenager on the way to prom. Before he could, they had reached the restaurant.

Ten minutes later they were sitting at a table opposite each other, smiling.  
“So this is awkward” she laughed dragging her finger along the rim of her water glass  
“It is” Oliver smiled back, the honesty of the moment breaking the silence

Oliver thumbed the corner of the red tablecloth, there was something that he just had to ask.  
“Was us, together, your” he paused, that didn’t sound right “When we were together” the inflection in his word was clear “You said it was your first time, did you”  
“Oh” she caught where we was going and subconsciously leant in across the table “I meant first time waking up in that state without much recollection” she smiled  
He almost sighed with relief.

Two hours, one bottle of wine and two beautiful meals later the awkwardness was gone, replaced with a kindly chatter that came easily to them.

The air was chilled as they stepped out into the night, Felicity shivered at the temperature change and instinctively Oliver removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders, rubbing his hands down her shoulders.

In the cab ride home he placed his hand on top of hers, rolling her fingers between his and when it stopped outside her apartment he insisted on walking her to her door.

Oliver watched her as she climbed the staircase in front of him. The tight black jeans she was wearing hugged her perfectly enticing him with each step she took.

They reached her apartment on the 4th floor and he was already feeling the stiffening in his pants, but he was determined not to act on it. They had done things backwards and he was eager to slow it down.

“So this is me” Felicity smiled rummaging through her bag for her keys  
She found them and unlocked the door, taking a step backwards inside her apartment, a part of her expected him to follow, but he stood poised in the doorway, his hand sliding up the door frame.

“Well thank you, I had a really nice time” Felicity leaned up, her body sloped against his as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek.  
He moved his head towards her lips skating her mouth onto his, a soft and delicate kiss shared between them. Their lips hovered over each other, touching as warm breaths passed between them.  
“Do you want-“ she breathed her lips moving each syllable over his  
“Please don’t ask me to come in, I’m afraid I won’t be able to say no” his voice was soft, shaking, his hands eager to be against her skin  
She nodded, she understood what he was saying, she felt the same way – she wanted to go back a few missed steps.  
“Ok” her lips were still balanced, barely touching his

They kissed again, softly and in unison like a symphony known only to them played out the rhythm, breaths passed between them, warm and wet with anticipation.

Oliver’s thumb swept over her cheek the touch like electric to her skin, the jolt pushing the kiss deeper.  
“I want to” Oliver hummed the words in gaps between their lips  
“I want you to, but” Felicity moaned back, feeling her body lean against him  
“But” he sighed, his lips breaking away less than an inch from hers  
Her eyes danced around a smile as she backed another inch or two away.  
“Goodnight Oliver” her fingers running the lip of the door  
“Goodnight Felicity” his hands dropping from her face

He watched her with a smile as she stepped further back and slowly closed the door.  
“Goodnight Oliver” she whispered leaning against the back of the door  
“Goodnight Felicity” he sighed, tapping his hand against the balustrade as he made his way back down the stairs, his eyes hovering over her closed door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love to hear your thoughts, comments, ideas, critiques....
> 
> Thanks to my honey DM crew, love you girls xoxo


	4. Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Song:  
> Moments by One Direction

_Shut the door, turn the lights off_  
_I wanna be with you_  
_I wanna feel your love_  
_I wanna lay beside you_  
_I cannot hide this even though I try_

 

***-*-*-***  
**[September 2012]**

Time felt like it moved slowly for Felicity. People in front of her walked in slow motion, cyclists rode past at a snail’s pace and the wind blew a paper bag across the street in front of her like it was in stop motion animation.

She was happy, determined to feel each moment, to savour each second that life was giving her. It was still summer, but the days were growing colder as it passed over into Fall, the beauty of the changing trees capturing Felicity’s mind as she walked the footpath.

Seven days ago she wished Oliver a goodnight on the landing of her apartment building floor. Seven nights ago they had started down a path that had only gotten better.

They had both agreed on day two that they would keep this quiet on set, eager to just enjoy moments together without watchful eyes or gossiping whispers. It was day four when they stayed hidden away in his trailer exploring the comfort between them as they watched TV and ate pizza. Day five was spent in quiet conversation in corners away from eager ears.

Day six had seen him asking her to meet him at a large park down the road from her apartment the following day – Day seven – today.

Felicity breathed in the slight chill in the air. She loved this weather, not too cold, but cold enough that your body would seek warmth close to another person – it was the perfect weather to have someone to hold.

As she entered the park she saw Oliver in the distance sitting alone on a park bench and facing towards the fountain in the centre of the park.

She couldn’t help herself, running up behind him she slid her arms around him and planted a kiss on his cheek. His hands enveloped her arms, his face changing from surprise to happy recognition as she spun around and sat beside him, an arm still lingering on his chest.

“So, what are we doing here?” she questioned, running her hand over his rolled up sleeve  
“We’re dating” he smiled, lacing his fingers into her own  
Felicity beamed back at him, she would enjoy this moment in slow motion too.

They walked together hand in hand through the park, seemingly unrecognised by anyone around them. Conversation switched between favourite shows and future scripts – both received and hoped for. They glossed over families and friends – Oliver opting only to talk about his sister Thea for a few moments, he told Felicity that Thea had spoken highly about her, unrepentantly declaring that she was _‘a much, much nicer person than that bitch Chantelle_ ’. A fact Oliver had also – unrepentantly – agreed with.

She had kissed him in front of the rose bushes. She couldn’t help herself, his eyes danced with pleasure as he told her about his love of wrestling, the childish enthusiasm he displayed had drawn her in and before she knew it her lips were on his, sweetly and softly beckoning him to return each movement, which he did with his hands cupping her waist as a softly moving wind blew over the top of them, swirling a leaf along with it as the world once again moved in slow motion.

He had kissed her as they stood looking out across the bay, her back snuggled up against his strong chest, his arms looped around her. He couldn’t help himself, watching as the wind flicked strands of her hair that had fallen loose from her pony tail around her neck, before he knew it his lips were against the bend of her neck, tasting her skin and feeling its warmth. She had smiled at his attention, running a finger across his hand that stayed wrapped around her body and leaning her neck away to allow him more access. He lapped it up, dotting a row of kisses across her neck.

 _Yes_ Felicity thought _day seven had been perfect._

***-*-*-***

**[October 2012]**  
**[The Naked Truth]**

Aiden poured the scotch slowly, letting the scent dance over his senses before taking his first sip. The call had come in hours before, Lance had been acquitted of all charges. His client had walked out of the Courtroom a free man. Family members cheered like he was a campion of sorts for the day. Aiden never allowed himself to look at the other side of the Courtroom anymore, there was no pleasure to be had in seeing the faces of the victim’s family slowly coming to the realisation there was nothing they could do to change this outcome.

It was a win for him. _A win was a win._  
Another notch in his belt that edged him closer to the legacy his father and his grandfather had forged with blood, sweat and tears (although never their own) – the Richards were ruthless. The Richards were winners.

Only as he settled in to a suede chair in his empty office – now well after normal working hours – he didn’t feel much like a winner. It was always his custom to have a drink once a verdict was reached – a scotch for a win, a gin for a loss – so he sat, alone, and continued this custom as he stared out to the lights flickering across the City.

There was a knock on the glass wall behind him and in the dimly lit hall he saw Emma standing there, her hands folded across her chest. Her eyes drawn down, her lips not set to either a frown or a smile.

He nodded her into his office, which she did so without a word until she was standing behind the chair opposite his.

He poured another glass of scotch and scooted it across the table to her.  
“I’m fine, thank you” she said, declining his offer “I just came to thank you” her lips paused like there was more to the sentence, but she shook her head softly, deciding against sharing it.  
“Emma, sit down, I promise not to kiss you” Aiden said, gesturing his open palms in a _hands off_ motion  
Emma looked at him sternly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, her eyes narrowing and widening, internally assessing the situation.

His charm, it would seem, was undeniable as, even in her conflicted state, she agreed and sat down into the sunken suede chair, her bare thighs – where her skirt stopped – sliding against the soft fabric in a way that was surprisingly pleasurable.

Aiden pushed the glass closer to Emma.  
“It is tradition, we won, we celebrate” he spoke with an inflection in his voice that caused Emma to feel a stirring _below the belt_ as the saying goes.

She was painfully aware of his reputation around the firm, she had heard the stories, but sitting opposite him – aware there was probably not another soul on the floor – she couldn’t care less about his reputation all she saw was his perfectly blue eyes, his chiselled jaw, his expertly maintained 5 o’clock scruff and the figure his physique cut in the white shirt he had untucked and unbuttoned at the top.

She licked her lips, remembering Jennifer in HR’s account of the way he could flex each bicep separately.

It suddenly felt hot in there as she took the glass from the table, fully aware of his lingering eyes on her. Her bracelet tapped against the glass – the only noise in the silent office. She watched him watching her over the rim of the glass as she took the smallest of sips, the strong smell violating her senses.

She spluttered as the liquid burned a trail down the back of her throat.  
Aiden let out a chuckle, a genuine smile turning up the corners of his mouth.  
“Shit, fucking shit” Emma cursed, only to then remember where she was which sent her hand cupping across her mouth in horror at the words that had come out of it.

“The cover girl has a potty mouth” he chuckled, leaning forward in the scooped chair, his fists folded over each other on the table in between them.  
Emma, still spluttering as the scotch continued its attack on her insides, blushed from embarrassment. Tucking her hair behind her ear she offered a quiet “I’m sorry for that Mr Richards”  
“Aiden. I think given we’ve kissed twice, you should at least call me by my first name”  
“Correction, you have kissed me twice, I’ve simply been there” she smiled as she took another sip – instantly regretting her subconsciously made decision. Her throat constricted for the second time, although the spluttering was less pronounced this time.

Aiden reclined and smiled, his eyes unmistakably looking only at her as he formulated his next words.  
“So who is Emma Casey?” his question both vague and direct  
“I’m sorry?” she quipped, blinking away from his obviously maintained eye contact  
“You’re horrified I notice your skirts, yet you continue to wear them” he nodded towards the black skirt she was sporting – the very same one with the zip detail he had specifically asked her to wear in Court “you protested both times we kissed” he paused, raising a finger of correction “I mean, when I kissed you, yet you haven’t laid a complaint with HR”

Emma went to retort his words, but she was running a blank, her mouth slowly closed again  
“You’re certainly not afraid of me, or you wouldn’t be here” he continued, now leaning so far across the table that only the very seat of his pants was left on the chair “so, who is Emma Casey?”  
“Thank you, Mr Richards” she said purposefully “Thank you for the experience in the case and thank you for that god awful drink” she smiled as she stood from the chair

Aiden rose after her, a hand jostling into his pocket, his other hand gesturing her to go on ahead.

She walked towards the door, smoothing down her skirt as she went. His presence behind her made her nervously run her fingers from her scalp down the length of her hair. She stood in front of the closed door and hovered there for a few seconds before she turned to face him a folded smile on her face.

He was close, within an arm’s reach – definitely within her normal circle of personal space. He reached past her, his stature shadowing her as his shoulder grazed across hers. She felt her herself holding her breath and that damn flickering between her legs had returned. She heard the door open with a click and she released her breath.

“It has been a pleasure Miss Casey” Aiden spoken, his body still leaning towards her, his hand still perched on the door handle.  
“Thank you” she said softly and then, without at all clearing it with her brain, she leant in towards him and kissed his cheek as one would a good friend.  
“Oh my god” she gaped as her brain finally clicked into gear, alarm bells screaming through her head – she had just kissed him on the cheek

Aiden’s brows furrowed in confusion of what had just transpired before a smirk drew across his face.  
“One more time Miss Casey and we’re even” he said, his face only an inch from her own

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a bright red, she was barely maintaining herself when his breath against her neck completely exterminated all her best intentions and smart decisions.

She turned her head, her nose almost touching his own, his height lowered into his lean. She felt her pulse quickening, her stomach in knots – her whole body instructing her there was only one thing to be done about it.

Her lips met with his, delicately landing on his ill prepared lips. Her lips folded over his bottom lip, holding it softly as a breath passed through her followed by the smallest of sighs. She pulled back ever so slightly, her lips floating above his as he straightened his body, his face never leaving the station where she had left it. She rolled her hands over his shoulders and laced them behind his neck.

His thumb rolled across her chin, swiping upwards across her cheek, till his fingers combed in through her hair – his other hand following the same route on the opposite side of her face. They drew back from her, taking her glasses with them.

She blinked up at him as he placed her glasses on the bookcase behind without ever breaking his eye contact. She watched his lips part a breath, beckoning her to closer. She obliged, her lips again falling up onto his, only this time his were ready for her. They danced across each other, the pressure rising and falling as the pace steadily quickened.

He folded over her top lip and she enveloped his bottom lip before they met again with parted lips skating over each other in throaty breaths. His tongue licked across her lip before lapping up her own in a twisted tango.

She felt his hands slide down her back with a pressure that was mirroring the deepening amorous kiss. They rounded her hips, settling under her ass and with a playful grab she felt her body rise up. In synchronicity he lifted her as she wrapped her legs haphazardly around his waist, her arms crossing around his shoulders and her hands steading his head as the kiss became hurried and unrestrained, their moans echoing through the kiss, the passionate sounds almost deafening in the otherwise silent office.

He carried her to the glass desk in front of the large window, the city-scape of lights flickering like fresh lit candles in the black of the moonless night.

Aiden guided her down onto the desk with a gentle touch that was removed from the speed at which their lips scurried across each other. He kissed a line from her mouth down to her neck, drinking in the sweet scent that speckled her pulse points. His moans muffled against her skin, her own moans freely coursing from her mouth.

A rogue hand pushed her skirt upwards, burrowing between the tight fabric across her thighs and the soft silk of her skin.  
“Ol” she heard herself moan, her lips screwing tight before she finished her word  
“Oh” she muttered, this time purposefully to cover the sound made moments before.

His lips travelled across her neck, stopping for a minute to suck in her ear lobe, now totally lost in the moment, in a moment that only she heard he whispered “Felicity” into her ear.

Her face didn’t falter, his secret words trapped between them. She closed her eyes melting into the moment they were enjoying, her legs widening, allowing him access to push his body closer against hers, his engorged, but still enclosed, member sliding up against her inside thigh.

“Cut, that was great guys” the call came from in front of them, the last shot was towards the city-scape, her back with her arms behind propping her up, his body curving over her own. Camera flashes – five, Felicity counted, was the cue to pull apart.

Slowly the two actors broke apart, unravelling their limbs that had become entwined. Not a word was spoken as the wardrobe department snapped a few pictures to ensure continuality when the scene returned.

  
***-*-*-***

Oliver paced a hall of the office floor, nervously wringing his hands over each other, fully aware he was completely out of his comfort zone at this moment, not because of the scene that he would soon be called to continue – he had done similar scenes, he was confident in those – but rather because of _who_ the scene was with.

As if sensing his thoughts, Felicity appeared around the corner and stopped when she saw him a smile flicking up across her face when she caught his eye.

“You’re hiding” she smiled, taking a few steps towards him.  
She was dressed in character, her long hair brushed and straightened, the right side tucked carefully behind her ear, her lips painted a pink stain that matched the swipe of blush across her cheeks. Her blue eyes shone under the dark liner and even behind the glasses Emma was now known for. They would start the scene again at the door to get a different angle from the beginning.

He nodded, embarrassed that his nervousness would show through. He had more years on her, but she seemed so collected given the very intimate moment there were about to film.  
“I’m sorry about the slip in your ear” Oliver said dutifully, although in truth – he wasn’t sorry, he had wanted to say it and he had said it, that was also why he chose to remove her glasses – so he could see Felicity, not just Emma – despite it not being in the script.

“I’m not” Felicity smiled, taking another step forward, her hand swinging out to gently touch his hip for a second.

She could sense his anxious demeanour – due in part to it being written all over his face.  
She cocked her head to the side “everything okay? You want this, I mean, this isn’t a bad thing right, this scene?” she was bumbling over her words, but her point was not lost on him

“That’s what I’m afraid of, that I _want_ it, a lot” he smiled “a lot, a lot Felicity” he held her hand and pulled her into one of the empty offices – given it was actually as late at night as they were showing on film, the actual offices they filmed some scenes in had been abandoned by their actual workers – insurance brokers to be specific – hours before.

The room was dark and unlike Aiden’s office the internal wall was not made of glass. Felicity turned on a light, flooding the room in its florescent glow. It was a small office, the office of someone further down the food chain, but higher than the cubical dwellers on the other side of the door. The room’s décor was older, instead of a glass desk there was a large solid wooden one sitting in front of a wall lined with bookshelves, filled with very official looking black folders set out in alphabetical order.

“I’m worried I’ll like it too much” Oliver quipped, closing the door to the room  
It wasn’t necessary as they had almost 40 minutes before they would be called back – the time it took to readjust the lightening, set up the angles and close down the set – from this point in the script onwards, it was a closed set – but it was something he did regardless.

Felicity smiled, a small chuckle escaping from her mouth as she sided up to him, her arms wrapping themselves around his waist.  
“You just need to relax” she smiled, her thumbs toying with the waist band of his suit pants  
“You don’t have an appendage that grows when it’s near you” he smiled back, his hands resting atop her shoulders  
“We could, um” Felicity bit her bottom lip, almost afraid of the word that she was going to say “practice?”

He needed no other invitation as he folded her hair back over she shoulders and without much ceremony removed her glasses, casting them aside.

He didn’t pick her up this time, instead leading her by the hand towards the desk, which was complete with a scribbled on desk pad in the centre, to the left of which sat a computer monitor and keyboard, on the other side was a photo – which before Felicity could put a face to the person who’s office they were going to ‘practice’ in, she flattened it face down on the desk.

There had been more days after _day seven_ that had seen them share moments together on a couch, arms wrapped over each other, legs entwined with each other, but they were just moments that never resulted in anything more, stopped by one or the other, eager to hold on – or hold off – a little while longer, content to stay enjoying the slow motion moments of days gone by.

But Felicity had stopped counting days now, if she thought about it, she might have arrived somewhere between 23 and 26 but it didn’t matter. Nothing needed to be agreed, nothing needed to be hashed out and no pros and cons listed was needed, they were both ready.

Their lips crashed into each other, his more forceful than hers, sending her a step backwards against the wooden desk. The items on the desk jolted at the sudden encroachment as he lifted her with ease onto the topper pad, the paper rustling slightly against her thighs. Time was limited and given the time they had spent waiting for this moment drawn out foreplay was not necessary, especially given their bodies were both still riding the emotions afforded to them through Emma and Aiden.

Carefully she ran her finger across each button on his shirt, eager to not make any permanent mistake that would make the wardrobe department side-eye them. His shirt billowed open, hanging off him like a coat hanger and exposing his defined chest to her fingers’ every whim. She danced across it, moving in and out of the grooves that separated each muscle, her movement alone stirring up a thirsty desire inside her and causing her to instinctively lick her lips.

His hands slid up her thighs, guiding them apart so he could step in between their parting. Her skirt now relocated around her waist like a belt, exposing her simple cotton and lace underwear – for a moment he allowed his mind to ponder whether these had also come from the wardrobe department or whether they were her own.

Running his fingers across the inside of them he felt her brimming already, her body jerking towards him as his mouth devoured her shoulder and although he wanted to nibble and suck his way along her collarbone he was conscientious enough to not leave a mark.

He rubbed her breasts through her shirt, his mind stepping forward to the moment in the script where he would rip it off her.

He wanted that now, to take her breasts, naked, into his hands and cup them, he wanted to toy with her nipple and press it playfully between his forefinger and thumb. He wanted to take one into his mouth and make her moan his name as he sucked and danced his tongue around her – but that was off limits this time, the buttons on her shirt were barely sewn together, which was why her hands beckoned his downward and away from that area – at least this time.

His hands – free to roam her legs – did so with urgency as the minutes clicked by on the clock he could see on the opposite wall there was no way he could stand to be interrupted at this juncture. Sliding her thin cotton fabric panties to one side his palm fell flat against her pubic bone as his fingers skated the outside, running through her readiness. Her own hands gripped at his pants, undoing the fly and pushing them down in one fluid motion.

His fingers entered her, slowly at first, taking their time with each movement in and out, feeling her walls clench in around them, summoning them deeper. He obliged, the two fingers moving further inside her, his thumb rubbing coyly against her bundled nerves causing her to react by gripping his shoulders.

He leant her back slightly, his arm strong against her back, propping her up. A pen holder crashed to the floor, but the sound wasn’t enough to stop them as his fingers moved inside her, his palm and thumb playing with the pressure points on the outside.

“Oliver” she panted, her own brain aware of the time ticking down for them, she lifted her leg, swiping it around his waist and using it like a hook to pull him in. Sliding his briefs down only what was necessary to release his now fully erect member he then pulled her closer, her body sliding against the rustling paper.

He wanted to kiss her perfectly painted lips as he stared down at her, hovering on the outer rim of her wet entrance, but he knew that would come later and he would enjoy that then. She folded her lips into her teeth as he replaced his fingers with his length. She gasped at the pressure it put against her, arching her back to nestle him in comfortably.

When he was fully enveloped inside her, he pulled her back up shifting the pleasure point inside her and making a breathless moan escape her lips. He pulled her close to his chest, eager to feel her hurried heartbeat against his own. He felt her rolling her hips as he rocked himself in and out, the concerted movements proving pleasurable to both of them.

Hurried pants and muffled groans filled the room as he pumped faster and she maintained her rhythmic twist.

Her head dropped backwards away from him as she felt her pattern taking her to the brink, his hand gripped at her ass, the sensation of it enough to push her over the edge and her head fell forwards again, dropping onto his muscular shoulder as she pursed her lips shut and bit the inside of her mouth – afraid that if she opened it the noise that would come out would alert everyone in a three floor radius.

Her warmth spilling over him was enough to drive him deeper and harder. He felt her twitching around him, the most delicate of movements like a perfectly timed massage inside her. With one driving force he pushed the deepest he could go, her body slapping against his navel as it lifted up from the desk.

He spilled inside her, holding himself in there to feel the moment encasing them. His body twitched in time with hers as they stayed joined together.

Oliver heard the buzz of his phone which in the pocket of his pants now down around his ankles. He didn’t want to move and he certainly didn’t want to answer it. He looked up at the clock, they still had 8 minutes before someone would come looking for them.

Felicity sighed contently as she ran her fingers idly through his hair. She enjoyed the feeling of him still inside her, softening there, the slow release of pressure from her walls providing its own enjoyment.

She was glad he ignored the phone and as they sat embracing each other, her eyes casting over the folders behind the desk she couldn’t help but wish this moment would stay in slow motion too.

His phone beeped once – whoever had called had left a message, a message he figured he would get later on.

It was a decidedly good thing he didn’t answer that call in that moment, the voicemail left would have been much harder to take then –

_Oliver, it’s Chantelle, we need to talk. I’m pregnant._

  
_**You know I'll be**_  
_**Your life, your voice, your reason to be**_  
_**My love, my heart**_  
_**Is breathing for this**_  
_**Moment in time**_  
_**I'll find the words to say**_  
_**Before you leave me today**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still dedicated to my wonder girls, Christy, Jyoti, Jo & Shannon.... look what you started!!!


	5. Insatiable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Song:  
> Insatiable by Darren Hayes 
> 
>  
> 
> So after editing this chapter I realise it's pretty much all smut....so either I'm sorry, or you're welcome. [I'm not sorry]

**_The candy sweetness scent of you_ **  
**_It bathes my skin, I'm stained of you_ **  
**_And all I have to do is hold you_ **  
**_There's a racing within my heart_ **  
**_And I am barely touching you_ **  
  


  
Oliver smoothed down the white shirt that was no longer as crisp as it once was as he watched Felicity comb her fingers through her hair – that was no longer as straight and perfect as it once had been. A smile ghosted across his face, the make-up and wardrobe department were going to be decidedly unimpressed.

Felicity smiled toward him, her eyes blinking upward as she slid Emma’s glasses back on.  
“How do I look?” she smiled, gently running her hands down the sides of the black mini skirt.  
Oliver hooked an arm around her waist and drew her body against his own “stunning” he replied simply, his eyes glossing over her as her soft pink lips turned up into a smile.

“Late dinner tonight?” she spoke in hushed tones, her teeth scouting across her bottom lip as she finished her sentence  
With one arm still around her waist, he wisped his free hand down her cheek, her skin luxuriously soft against his palm.  
“Come to my place” he smiled, his voice low and soft “stay with me tonight”  
She didn’t need to think about his request, the answer came easily to her.  
“Yes” she replied softly as she nodded, her hair slipping over her shoulder

He was so caught up in the blue of her iris and the curve of her lips he completely forgot about the phone message. He glanced back towards the clock – it was time to go back to set.

***-*-*-***  
**[The Naked Truth]**

Emma’s palms stretched out, sliding across the glass desk. It caught the corner of his phone sending it crashing towards the floor, the wire catching on the edge precariously dangling the phone inches from the floor.

She felt Aiden’s strong fingers feather along the collar of her shirt, running smooth against her skin underneath. He kissed her again, his lips hard against hers, breathless exchanges caught between tongues at war with each other.

Emma braced herself against the desk, her muscles stretched taunt as she fought the pressure of his body leaning up against hers. She felt at his mercy, her arms trapped behind her lest she fall, but the pressure of his body was exhilarating. It became abundantly clear to her over-active mind why the woman spoke so highly of his prowess as his tongue licked across the pulse point on her arched neck.

Aiden’s tongue flicked, tracing a delicate path across her increasingly sensitive skin. His teeth followed the same path, trapping tiny scrapes of her neck between them, the sensation causing a heated moan to spill from her mouth. Finally his lips closed in around his teeth, releasing the scrapes of skin and patting them down with a warm blanketed kiss. All the while he hummed against her neck, the low docile reverb sending an encompassing shockwave down her spin – he was good. He was really good.

His hands grew bothered at the buttons of her shirt, too fiddly for his blindly led fingers to work through as he focused his attention on the smooth skin of her neck. Breathing in against it spiralled a rush of her perfume through his senses, it was an acutely familiar scent he couldn’t quite figure out. He dug his nose in deeper, licking against her skin, his face so close he could feel the reverberation of his breaths against her pulse.

 _Vanilla_ he decided, she smelt like rich, creamy vanilla ice cream. The idea of it made his teeth scrape across her skin, nibbling in against it, positive he could taste the luxury of the velvety treat. He was becoming ravenous against her, eager to discover if her entire body smelt that sweetly.

But his damn hands were useless to him – unable to undo even the first button. He gripped the two sides of her shirt, the flimsy cotton fabric bunched in his hands just below her breasts. He was done taking care, he needed to have more of her.

He pulled his hands apart, the ferocity of it ripping all the buttons clean off her shirt. She gasped at the sudden shock of it, but fell onto his lips as they approached, decidedly okay with the destruction he had reaped upon her wardrobe.

“Emma” he moaned, his teeth catching her bottom lip between them  
She moaned a response to him, her chest heaving beneath him.  
“I really want to have sex with you Emma, but I’m going to need your express approval” he smiled, his hands ghosting over her bra, flicking lightly back and forth over her hardening nipple.

She stared up at him, a perplexing look flitting across her face.  
“What?” she panted, her body arching towards his hands, eager for them to be on her once more.  
“Before we can continue, I need to hear you agree to it Emma” the smile on his face was broad, he had led her to this moment and now he was pulling back, eagerly watching her face try to make sense of it.  
“Oh-oka-okay” she stammered as his palm ran circles over her nipple, rubbing it over the embossed white satin bra she was thankful she had put on that day.  
“Okay, yes?” his eyebrow drew upwards his chin dropping towards her neck once more “I need you to say you agree” he breathed the words into her ear before his mouth caught her decorated lobe between his lips. His tongue flicked over the small fern-shaped earring she was wearing. The sound of his groan as he passed it around his mouth mixed with the warm breath his nose cast into her ear.

Emma felt her body contorting underneath each breath he took against her skin. She felt like her body was swelling with the light pressure of it. She was warming in her core and pooling with wetness between her legs. He was exceptionally good.

“Yes, that’s a yes” she moaned  
The instant the second yes broke from her mouth his hand was wrapped around her hair, deliberately but gently he tugged her hair back, opening her neck to him. He watched her swallow a noise, her teeth skating across her lip before he dove his lips against it, his tongue eager to taste every part of her.

He held his lips open on her neck, feeling her beating pulse against them the rich taste of vanilla still strong on her skin making him want to lick it with a heavy tongue.

Aidan trailed a path down the centre of her neck, one hand entangled in her hair, running his fingers through it, letting her head pull forward a little as he reached the dip between her clavicle.

With one hand he reached behind her, unclipping the back clasp of her bra causing the front of the bra to gape open at the release. He hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her upwards in a movement she wasn’t anticipating. Her palms felt wet from sweat leaving behind a foggy imprint against the glass desktop. His chest felt solid against her own, her nipples sensitive to the movement he made as he pulled the shirt from her arms discarding it to the floor by his feet.

With more of a delicate movement he slipped the bra straps down her arms now littered with tiny goose bumps. He followed the left strap down her arm with his mouth, pecking the smallest of kisses against her skin causing Emma to shiver in response to it. The bra soon fell to the floor next to her ruined shirt.

His middle finger pushed a line down her spine as he angled her back, her hands taking up the position on the desk, slipping in the trail they had left the last time. She felt his eyes lingering on her as if taking snapshots of the figure she presented to him. She felt a wave of nervousness float over her – the moment like a surreal dream she dare not think too much about lest she wake from it.

Her mouth rolled over his name leaving it poised between her lips, she wanted to say it, to ensure he was still here, still present in this moment as his eyes never left off her body, but before she could decide on whether to speak it, his eyes jolted upward, staring directly into hers.  
“Emma” he breathed her name, the breathy sound of it  
_What now?_ Her mind screamed, anxious to have him move further down her body  
“Mmph?” she responded  
Aidan lowered his mouth to hover above the tip of her erect nipple. He blew a soft breath on it through pursed lips before his tongue skirted across it, happy to find the scent of vanilla lingered here to.

She growled her approval to his actions, a rasped breath pursing through her lips.  
“I need to know if you consent to this Emma, perhaps get your written consent” he smiled against her breast, cupping its roundness into his hand, massaging the inside knuckle of his thumb firm against the underside.

She couldn’t find words to respond as his mouth encased her, trapping her breast in a gentle suction.

Aidan let it go again, his head titled upwards, watching the delicate way her eyelids blinked down at him.  
“Emma, I need to hear you say you approve of this” his fingers walked up her thigh, ducking under her skirt.  
She arched her back as the contact was made – his fingers against the warmth pooling in her panties.  
“Yes, okay, fuck, yes” she cried out, hurried and needy

A smirked pulled over Aidan’s face before he smacked his lips together and whispered the words “well then, that’s about all the approval I need”

The camera panned across the room, capturing the shot of a stunned grey-haired cleaner standing in front of the glass wall, the hose of his vacuum backpack hovering in mid-air, his mouth parted in a gape.

***-*-*-***

The end of scene alarm buzzed through the closed set as Oliver bent down scooping up the discarded shirt and handing it to Felicity. She nodded her thanks as she held it against her chest, suddenly now back in the moment – back to the real life where his hands never really touched further than her thighs and it was all clever camera angles that made her breasts appear to be in his mouth.

“We have what we need” the director smiled as wardrobe handed Felicity a robe to wrap herself in.  
Oliver took her hand and helped her off the desk. His eyes met with hers before blinking downwards, afraid that everyone would see the affection his eyes held for her.

The spark they had was new, but it was real. Their time together was short, but it was one of life’s moments where you know that everything after that time will be different because of it.

Looking at Felicity, Oliver knew whatever path his life took in the future, he would always fork back to his time spent with her. In a perfect world – in his ever-hopeful mind – she was to be his defining moment – his start of something wonderful.

But the world is rarely ever perfect and life is not often lived the way we might plan it – two lessons that would come to meet Oliver and Felicity head on, soon enough.

  
***-*-*-***

Oliver nervously jiggled the keys in the front door of the modern sandstone bricks and glass home. It wasn’t overly large or embellished instead it was tastefully, perhaps a little sparsely, decorated and housed every creature comfort he required.

Finally the front steel-grey door opened into the darkened house. He put his hand behind, blindly feeling for hers. She smiled placing her palm atop his and weaving her fingers though his expectant ones.

Oliver reached for the light switch and with a flick of a few switches the open plan living space was flooded in light.

Felicity looked around the room letting each space soak in. She was sure she could fit her whole apartment in half this room. She had not been here before as they had attempted to keep things under wraps a little longer and Oliver was a much more well-known cast member than herself, as most of her episodes had yet to air. It was not uncommon for photographers to hang around outside his house and it would not be completely unexpected if she was caught leaving it in the morning, which was why his request for her to stay the night came with an unstated validation of where this relationship was heading.

“Come” he smiled taking both her hands into his own.  
At that point of the night he wanted nothing more than to close the door and tear their clothes off, but he also longed to take his time, to spend hours with her body, studying each dip and curve it made, trailing a map with his fingers first then his mouth. He wanted every sense he had to have its time with her – watch her move, hear her breath, taste her skin and feel her body. So, despite his hungering for a quick fix he opted for the second one.

She shrugged her coat off before he hung it on an ornate hook behind the door after doing the same with his own. It was nearing midnight and the chill in the air was vivid even with the house’s heating.

Oliver swept his hand across Felicity’s cheek, combing his fingers through her straightened hair and taking her by surprise. He kissed her softly, his lips closing in around her top lip blanketing it in his warm breath.  
“Stay the weekend” he hummed against her mouth  
They weren’t expected back at work till Monday and here they could be alone, hidden away and holed up without any outsider interruptions. Here, alone and with no place to go, they could enjoy each other in ways that were cardinal and explicit.

Felicity smiled against his lips, she had never been so sure of anything in her life. She too longed for the moments Emma and Aiden shared, but without the camera tricks and without the restrictions. She wanted every part of her to touch every part of him.

With her hand captured in his he lead her into the lounge and the prominent fireplace that sat below the wall-hung TV. He stooped down pushing a button on a remote that sat on the hearth.

The fireplace sprung to life, spilling its orange glow light into the room sending an instant rush of heat against Felicity’s cheeks. She sighed her approval at the welcomed warmth as it wrapped its way around her.

“Do you want something to eat?” he asked, padding around to a far side wall where he dimmed the lights, creating a yellow-orange aura around the room, the dancing wicks of fire now the main source of light around them.

Felicity shook her head, her eyes glinting as she slid her teeth across her lip. She glided towards him, her bare feet warm against the polished wood floors.  
“Nope” she smiled “maybe after”  
“After?” he grinned letting her hands slide up under his crew-neck t-shirt, rippling her fingers across his abs  
“Just, after” she raised her body to her tiptoes, her hands balanced against his chest  
She licked her lips as he bent his head towards her, their lips meeting in the space between them.

Delicately their lips scouting each other before her hands slipped around under his shirt against the smoothness of his back, holding herself closer to him as his hands made tracks across her back before settling at the base, his thumbs folding over the waistband of her pants.

She lifted the shirt from his body helped by him bending to her height to allow her to pluck it off his head. Orange flecks from the fire danced across his smooth body as she walked him back towards the fireplace, her feet finally melting into the soft shag-piled rug that lay in front of it.

Felicity sat down, her hands tugging his arm downward to sit with her in front of the warm glow. He obliged and sat down on the same charcoal grey rug, his fingers combing through the pile as he outstretched his legs next to, and surpassing, her body. His arm balanced over her outstretched thighs, their bodies facing each other, running as opposite sides of the road.

She eyed his physique, mesmerised by the way the skin stretched across each well-formed muscle, almost like he was carved from stone. Only, as she ran her fingertips down each run and each groove he was the opposite of stone, he was smooth without being dry, he was soft like warm caramel and his skin dipped at the pressure of her fingertip like a comforting pillow.

Oliver felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and he groaned in annoyance at it. Pulling it from his pocket but without looking at the screen, he sent it to voicemail and then switched it off before casting it across the floor.  
“I don’t want any interruptions” he smiled, his hand gliding down her cheek, stopping at her chin, where he raised it slightly to melt into his expectant lips.

Breaking less than an inch away from her lips, his eyes still partially closed lingering on the sensation of her, he whispered “Felicity, I want to take my time with you, enjoy every part of you, slowly and deliberately on all levels. I want to learn everything about you. Will you let me?”

She ghosted her lips over his, her nose gliding across the tip of his before she nipped forward, catching his top lip between her dewy ones.  
“Yes” she hummed against his mouth  
His hand glided down her arm, doubling over her hand.  
“Then give me your phone. No interruptions” he smiled, pulling his head back to watch the expression across her face.

She leaned to her side, pulling her black phone from her pant pocket and placing it willingly into his open palm.  
“No interruptions” she repeated with a smile.

His hand closed over the phone as he stood from the rug. He collected his own phone from the cast off position it had stopped in and somewhere in the kitchen behind her, Felicity heard a drawer open and, seconds later, close again.

Oliver made a beeline for the cordless phone sitting on a white-wood table close to the entrance hall. He took the phone from the cradle and pushed the talk button before placing it face down on the table.  
“Not a one” he smiled, referring to the decision they had made about no interruptions.

His eyes wandered back over to Felicity, eager to return to her side – so eager in fact he never glanced down at the flashing red light on his answering phone and he was too wrapped up in being with Felicity here and now that he forgot about the message on his cell phone left hours before and the subsequent one that had been left after he skidded his phone across the floor.

All those messages were from the same person and they all told the same story.

First message  
_Oliver, it’s Chantelle, we need to talk. I’m pregnant._

Home message  
_Oliver, you need to call me back, right now. The baby is yours and people know it_ there was a tinge of anger in this one, Oliver would have recognised the tone the instant he heard it – this was Chantelle and she was not amused.

Latest message  
_I can tell you ignored my call Oliver. Call me_  
She was most definitely not amused.

But Oliver heard none of that, nor would he hear the bombardment of phone calls made to his cell phone, which now lay in a kitchen cupboard completely switched off.

He took up the same position beside Felicity the warmth of the fire sending a rippling wave of comfort through his body.

He scooted in close to her, his hand dipping under her chin, the warmth of her soft skin like silk to his touch. He watched her swallow a breath – as he had done in character earlier in the night – as his lips rubbed together remembering the sweet taste of her. He kissed his lips against her mouth first and as her lips parted way for him he slid his tongue in moving it delicately in time with her own, breaths passing between them.

He departed from her mouth, dotting precious little kisses along her jaw line as his palm held the other side of her head. He could almost smell the scent he was searching for, his senses sparked to life assured that they were close.

Oliver’s mouth reached her ear and he hummed a low and docile appreciation of it. As her hair tickled against his face he cupped her lobe as Aiden had done only this time her ear was decorated with a simple stud.

Desiring to savour each inch he discovered of her, Oliver danced his tongue around the studded earring as her hair fell forward, curtaining him behind it. He breathed deeply curious as to whether her hair also carried the velvety rich scent of vanilla. His sense was instead met with another scent that reminded him of a beach on a pacific island, her hair smelled decidedly like coconuts, light, fresh, tropical coconuts and he now had a second favourite smell.

“Coconuts” he grinned, nuzzling his nose against the soft skin behind her ear “your hair smells like coconuts” his voice was muffled against her skin, hidden behind her hair  
“Is that a good thing?” she smiled as she ruffled her hand through the neckline of his hair  
“Mmmhmmm” he moaned against her, unwilling to relinquish his position nuzzled in towards her

Still, he was eager to find that scent of vanilla again. His lips smacked against each other just thinking about it. His hand drew back her curtain of hair, folding it behind her ear as his other hand tipped her head to the side both of which exposed her elongated neck to him.

Oliver dragged his dewy lips down her neck guided by the flickering shadow the flames beside them created on her skin. He reached a pulse point as he feverishly pushed his lips against it eager to feel the rhythm of it pulsating against him. He took it between his teeth, nibbling gently in a motion that had been scripted before but was now purely bourn from primal desire.

Greedy for more he nipped at her neck causing her body to twitch against him. In a moment he wondered if that had been too much, but she moaned a soft peek of pleasure as her nails pattered across his shoulder blade and he understood her.

He found the place and his whole body quivered with delight, the spot in the crook of her neck, before the dip of her collarbone that tasted unequivocally like rich vanilla ice cream. He drew his lips back just enough for his thumb to skirt in on top of the place.  
“Here” he whispered, pushing his thumb into her skin “you taste just like vanilla ice cream and it’s fucking delicious” he grinned, his eyes flicking upward to catch a glimpse of her own.

Oliver felt her body next to him shake gently with a soft laugh.  
“This is no laughing matter Felicity, this spot right here” again his thumb pushed into it “it’s like crack cocaine to my penis. I don’t think you understand”  
She laughed again, her lips parted, releasing the sweetest sound his ears had ever heard  
“If I could be the size of an ant I would just live here, on this spot” he kissed up against it “I would die happy here”

She attempted to pull away instinctively as his scuff tickled against her delicate skin. He pulled her back with a playful growl before she lost her balance, falling in a state of laughter to the soft awaiting mat.

Oliver twisted his body so it now ran parallel with hers, his hands propping him up above her, one either side of her body. He dipped his right shoulder positioning himself onto his elbow so his hand could stroke her shoulder.

Felicity stopped laughing as her eyes shot upwards to meet with his.  
“Ice cream could be messy, but you have a shower right?” she smiled a flickering of the flame beside her dancing from her iris as she raised her eyebrows upwards with a second grin  
“Fuck yeah I do” he announced almost pouncing up off the floor, praying to anyone that would listen that there was ice cream in his freezer.

Felicity watched him skid into the kitchen and head straight for the freezer door beneath the fridge. With the warm air blanketing the room from the roaring fire she removed her t-shirt, bra and pants, leaving only the black lace panties that had imprinted themselves on his memory.

Oliver couldn’t help but cheer as he discovered a small tub of rich vanilla and chocolate flaked ice cream next to the oversized packet of frozen peas he never remembered buying. He ran back towards the living room floor, skidding to a halt when he saw her.

She was almost completely naked, except for the lace panties he recognised immediately. She was on her stomach, her top half propped up on her elbows, her slender fingers combed through the pile of the rug underneath her. Her back was exposed and arched in a beautifully elongated wave upwards towards her neck which was turned to look at him with her hair folded over one shoulder, the tips of it spilling a blond pool onto the rug. Her breasts lay hidden slightly in the shadows and the pile of the rug, but he could make out their shape, poised and rounded beneath her. Her legs were outstretched one bent at the knee her foot lifted skywards.  
“Oh dear god” he moaned, slipping his pants down his leg, leaving only his briefs on  
“I thought you could start here” she smiled, her fingertip tapping the back of her neck

Without a further invitation he sat down on his side next to her, his fingers tracing a path down her back, silently mapping out the path he wished the liquid would take.

He opened the lid and dragged the teaspoon across it forming a ripple of white flecked with the smallest flaked chocolate. He felt the excitement brimming inside him, licking his lip at the mere thought of it.

“It’s going to be a little cold” he whispered leaning in towards her ear, the underside of the spoon making brief contact with her warm skin.  
She jolted slightly at the cold metallic sensation of the spoon against her skin, her teeth pulling in against her lip as she blinked up at up, nodding him to continue.

He turned the spoon on its side, the warmth from the fire already made it soften enough to simply slip from the spoon.  
Her eyes widened with the sudden icy feeling that coursed down her spin.

She felt it melting against her, the liquid nestling in the groove of her spine. Oliver watched it slowly slide down her spine, feathering out in three small spherical pools, two separating from the centre, dripping a path across her ribs, she giggled at the sensation as his tongue swept them up one after the other, leaving the centre trail to continue its way slowly down her back leaving a sticky cream tail behind it.

He studied each second it took as he levitated just above it, the scent of it filling his nose. As another small trail broke off somewhere near her lower back he let it trickle down toward her hip, its path a jagged one. His tongue drew a line across her hip, sweeping across her naked skin tauntingly daring the stray trail to pass that line.

He placed a gentle kiss against her skin as the trail came daringly close to sliding around the curve of her hip, but he caught it between his lips, savouring the taste against his tongue and humming his pleasure at it firmly against her waist.

Oliver could feel his fingers flicking into each other, forming an instinctive fisting motion, wanting to be covering her body, to be touching every inch of it, but he held back, craving the slow burn intimacy instead that required little use of his hands, his mouth and tongue would do the work this time.

Felicity sighed as the cold feeling down her spine was replaced up the swiping motion of his tongue on her skin, it’s misty movements making her hum along with its pace as the sensation of the soft flickering hairs of the rug against her nipples creating a cohesion of enjoyment that murmured from her lips.

Oliver worked his mouth back towards her spine, delicately wiping across the tail the runaway droplet had made on her skin.  
“I could die happy right now” he breathed against her as he watched the remaining ice cream pool at the base of her spine  
He wanted to curse in pleasure at the sight of it but his lips dare not move from their rest atop her soft satiny skin.

A hand ran over her ass and between her thighs, which opened up to allow it through. His palm splayed out on the rug with his arm nestled in tight between her thighs. Bracing himself with that arm he pushed upwards and hovered over the tiny lake of smooth white liquid threatening with each slight movement she made to topple down and spill over.

He ran his tongue lightly under the black waistband of her panties. Gripping it between his teeth he pulled it up slightly, folding it back against itself uncovering just the start of her seductively curved ass.

Oliver lightly chafed his chin growth against the skin he had just uncovered as he positioned himself just on the bank of the tiny ice cream lake. He wished he could see her face at this moment, thirsty to see the way her face revealed the pleasure that he heard emanating from the soft almost muted moans each tongue flick elicited from her.

He had not had the pleasure of noticing before the way her pelvis curved and dipped in at her waist or the light scattering of soft brown freckles that formed no pattern across her shoulders, but he could see them now, illuminated by the rich orange light that encased them.

Yes, most definitely taking all the time in the world to study her body was the only thing he wanted to be doing right now.

He dipped the tip of his tongue into the tiny lake, the pressure breaking its boarders sending the contents spilling in opposite directions. He licked it up with a deep circular motion collecting one side then the other as the arm between her legs flexed against her causing a heaviness toward her throbbing heat.

Felicity’s gasped moan caught Oliver off guard, not realising the load he was placing between her legs. He watched as her back arched upwards positioning herself closer towards his arm.  
“I see” he smiled softly, before his hand reached around her waist and flipped her over in a solid and fluid motion “you want something a little more?”

He pushed his thumb in against the fabric of the panties, pushing her body instinctively upwards, her body now mimicking the position she had taken up early, only now it was her chest exposed to him and her back hidden in the shadows of the rug.

“Uh-huh” she moaned through closed lips, her eyes fluttering to catch his  
He fanned her legs wider apart, as he positioned himself with one leg between them the top of his knee angled against her pulsating sex.

Felicity moaned at the heaviness of it, she had no inhibitions showing her pleasure at the sensation of his knee pushing in against her. Truth be told parts of their first night together, the one cast in a cloud of drunken stupor, had started to come back to her and, truth be told, she could remember every second his bicep spent rubbing against her. From her position now it would seem his knee could do an equally exquisite job.

He leaned forward driving himself into her, watching as she writhed up his leg, instinctively moving to just…the….right…spot. She bit her lip upon finding it as he placed an arm either side of her, his face matching up with hers.

“Fe-li-city?” he breathed, drawing out each syllable  
“Mmmm?” she sighed back, her eyes blinking at the closeness of his face to hers  
“We’re not leaving here until I taste every….single….part of you, are you okay with that?” he finished his words with a light feathered kiss on her pouting lips  
“Completely” she winked, replying with a pleasing kiss of her own

_**Turn the lights down low** _  
_**Take it off, let me show** _  
_**My love for you insatiable** _  
_**Turn me on, never stop** _  
_**Wanna taste every drop** _  
_**My love for you insatiable** _

  
***-*-*-*To Be Continued*-*-*-***


	6. Talking Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talking Body  
> By Tove Lo
> 
> I’m very sorry at those of you I left hanging *no pun intended* with this story, but I’m back – it’s back and hopefully with a bang or three *pun intended*.
> 
> Warning:  
> NSFPR (“Not Suitable for Public Reading”) – especially, if like me, you read this stuff on the bus and you just realised people read shit over your shoulder…. Or you know, read it in public FOR that reason, because if someone is reading over your shoulder, they could probably do with a little Smutty-Smut in their lives.

**Note: How I recommend you read this:**  
1\. Go watch this video by my BFF Christy - [Olicity Talking Body](https://youtu.be/QO9sbj8C1-w) - it’s amazing and not a word of a lie, this was my motivation to bring this story back;  
2\. Come back and read this chapter; and  
3\. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as you can handle.

 

 **Now if we're talking body**  
**You got a perfect one**  
**So put it on me**  
**Swear it won't take you long**  
**If you love me right**  
**We fuck for life**  
**On and on and on**

  
**Love, give me love**  
**Anything you want I'll give it up**  
**Lips, lips I kiss**  
**Bite me while I taste your fingertips**

**~*~*~*~**

It felt like the ground beneath her was violently shaking. Her feet couldn’t grip onto anything, her back pressed hard against the cold slick tiles that had stolen her breath the moment her naked skin touched them. Her eyes were shooting across the white ceiling, the halogen lights dancing stars into her vision.

Her breath was ragged and drawn, her mind was chasing to keep up with each tiny explosion that were like dominos across her body – one after the other – he had her screaming his name, the sound of her cries echoing off the slate tiles.

“Fuck Oliver, Fuck” Felicity stammered – she had no idea what part of him was inside her anymore.

They had come in the bathroom to clean the sticky residue of the vanilla ice cream off their bodies, but Felicity had only just turned the shower on when Oliver had virtually pounced on her, claiming he had spotted a particularly delicious part of her thigh he was sure he had not tasted yet.

So here they were, very much fucking, on the wet area of the particularly modern bathroom, the water from the rainfall shower flowing into them.

“I’m fucking, that’s what I’m doing” Oliver replied through hurried pants  
Felicity could now strike off his tongue inside her as he pushed that firm against the seam of her lips. Her entire body was in spasm, she felt nothing – and yet _everything_ – below her waist.

There was absolutely nothing slow or tender or even necessarily loving about what they were doing – it was carnal, animalistic and insatiable – it was _fucking_.

“Come again, I need to feel it again” Oliver growled into her lips, his teeth snatching up that preciously plump bottom lip of hers that so often played into the fantasies of his mind.

She was dying.  
Not literally because she hated when people misused that word.  
But almost-literally – definitely cataclysmically – she was dying.  
He had made her come three times that night and she was verging on the fourth.

She wasn’t sure if there was a magic number, but _fuck_ if she made it through this weekend with at least seven under her belt then she had decided she was going to get that tattooed on her body.

“I can’t” she breathed, afraid the next one might open up some sort of wormhole given its impending ferocity

But, no sooner had the words left her mouth, she was forced to revoke them as she gave him exactly what he had asked for. She watched with blown eyes as his face exclaimed the absolute satisfaction he got from her release swelling and drowning his cock, now buried deep inside her.

It was the sweet release Oliver had been holding back – waiting for – and when it came (literally) he instantly let himself go, exploding his pent up orgasm into her shaking depth.

Felicity reached her fingertips between their melded bodies, desperate to feel some of the warmth in their mixed juices. She smiled as her fingers explored the hilt of his cock – the shaft of which she could still feel pulsing inside her.

The wetness clung to her fingers, sticky and warm and she couldn’t help but to smooth it between her folds, drawing out the lingered moments of her powerful – fourth – orgasm in just the few hours they had spent together.

Oliver watched intently at the movement her fingers were making between her folds. Just watching her drawing out her own pleasure was making him harden inside her. He watched as she drew a slick trail up towards her navel, leaving behind the glistening path of their shared expenditure.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand up to his mouth, his lips enveloping the wet fingers she had rubbed between their sex. His tongue moved down the index finger tasting each lick that swirled through the salty-sweet dewiness.

Oliver hummed as he took her fingers deeper into her mouth. It tasted like heaven – or like hell – either way he wasn’t stopping till he had licked her fingers clean.

That was _fucking_.  
That was _fucking_ done right.

* * *

  
**Bed, stay in bed**  
**The feeling of your skin locked in my head**  
**Smoke, smoke me broke**  
**I don’t care I’m down for what you want**

The fifth struck somewhere after 11pm. Exhausted, they had both fallen into bed sometime around 10. Felicity’s eyes had been sealed tight in slumber seconds after her head hit the richly comfortable duck-down pillow on Oliver’s king-sized bed.

She never noticed Oliver stir beside her and she didn’t feel the gentle skate his fingers made down her exposed arm, folded over the outside of the puffy white duvet.

She didn’t even notice the rain outside tapping against the black tinted windows or the low rumble of the air-con in the room kicking on. She was ‘dead-to-the-world’ asleep.

Oliver smiled in the white dim light of the moon as he watched Felicity sleeping. They had truly outdone themselves so far this weekend, fulfilling at least three of the fantasies he had found himself having about her after they started working together. She brought something young and virile out in him – not that he was old, rather he had become somewhat stale –choosing to stay locked in a relationship that was as toxic as it was dull – but Felicity had ignited passions he had long since buried and it was exhilarating.

He wasn’t sure what this was with Felicity, but he knew what it wasn’t.  
It wasn’t a mistake.  
It wasn’t a fling.  
It wasn’t _just_ fucking.

While what she presented to him – in every facet of her being – was like a drug to his penis, sure, but there was much more to this. He wanted to hold her, feel her warmth pressed up against him. He wanted to see her in the morning swanning around the house in one of his t-shirts. He wanted to watch her cry at a sad movie and laugh through a funny one. He wanted to know everything about her and he had a sudden urge to ask her about her family, to learn her dog’s favourite toy or how she prefers her eggs – little things – the bricks that took _fucking_ to a _relationship_.

He pressed a soft kiss to the curve of her shoulder, enjoying the fragrant elixir of her smooth skin. Her lips instinctively pouted into a soft smile, but she didn’t rouse from her sleep.

Oliver gently pushed her shoulder with the flat of his palm and just like he had hoped she rolled onto her back in response, rounding her shoulders and stretching her legs habitually. He decided then to wake her up in the best way he could think of.

As the rain beat down heavier outside Oliver moved his body under the blankets, burrowing down the bed, trailing his fingers along the length of her body as if to track his path. He found the rise of her hip bone easily and lightly peppered blind kisses across it, savouring each moment he took flittering his tongue up and over the crest of the bone. There was something he found absolutely enthralling about that bone, like it held some sort of magical power over him.

He was blind in the darkness of the warm blanket cave he had buried himself in, so his fingers walked out the path his mouth would take from that delicious hip bone to the treasure between her legs.

Oliver’s fingers slid down her mound and slowly between her folds. He felt her hips roll at the gesture and he heard the faintest of mewls in response to it. He smiled each light kiss that hopscotched the same path his fingers had taken moments earlier till his mouth reached her apex.

He breathed out between her folds pushing warm air between them, pulling a mounted sigh from her. His fingers ran the seam of her, slowly up and down, his sense of touch seemingly heightened by his lack of vision. Everything felt soft and warm and his mouth was suddenly overwhelming jealous of his fingers.

Absently licking his lips first he started the precession of lingered kisses down between her legs. His tongue swooped in gently between her folds as his hands gently eased her legs apart – which she complied with without any resistance.

His tongue hungrily pushed between her lips, his head tilting under the covers to get the angle that such a move asked for. He felt her body slowly waving as if her mind was rousing her body awake to enjoy the sensation.

“Oliver?” he heard a breathy whisper  
He smiled at the sound of it, a slight hint of desperation hung in her tone and it drove him wild.  
His tongue plunged in between her, swirling around her like a vortex, lapping up all of the sweet juices that it found there.  
“Ohmyoliver” she stammered – now well and truly awake – as her back arched off the mattress and her hands pulled the blankets to the side.

“Good morning” he smiled, licking his lips which now tasted like her  
“I don’t think it’s morning” she shot back with a smile of her own, reaching down to comb her fingers through his tousled hair  
“It will be when I’m done down here” he winked before he drove his tongue thick into her folds, springing it over her now-wet entrance as his thumb rubbed in against her clit.

It was shortly after that when the fifth time erupted into a cacophony of panted screams and smacking lips.

….it was also sometime after that she was blessed with orgasm number six.

All that she could think was someone needed to give this man’s tongue an Oscar for most _moving_ performance.

* * *

  
**Bodies**  
**Our baby making bodies we just use for fun**  
**Bodies**  
**Let’s use them up til every little piece is gone**

The seventh time was a new experience for Felicity and was only due in part to Oliver, the rest of the kudos went to something quite unexpected.

“Take it off” Oliver smirked, running a finger down the strap of Felicity’s blue-striped bikini top.  
“No, I’m not really one for public exposure Oliver” Felicity laughed, resting her head back in the lounger as the sun beat it warm mid-morning rays down on them

“What, you mean like this?” he laughed, pulling down his board shorts and kicking them to the side  
Felicity shrieked in laughter as she mockingly covered her eyes.  
“The whiteness, it’s blinding” she laughed as he playfully strutted closer  
“Come on, there’s no one around and our sex making parts could use the fresh air”  
“You’re starting to sound like Aiden”  
“Well, we always take on little bits of our character’s personalities don’t we?”  
“Do we?”  
“Of course, I completely understand why Aiden wanted you, ah Emma, to wear that tight little black skirt”  
“You do, do you” she smiled, folding her blue rimmed sunglasses down her nose  
“Absolutely, you have an exceptional ass Miss Casey and I hope one day Aiden gets to slowly pull down your stockings, kick the cat out of the room and lightly spank it” Oliver gleamed, raising one eyebrow

“And you think someone is going to write that in the script” she balked playfully  
“I think some money may need to change hands, but I’ll see what I can do”  
“Oh you will? I thought this was about Aiden, not Oliver”  
“Well, I’m an actor who likes to enjoy his job” he walked two fingers up her curved thigh  
“So, what would Aiden do in this situation?” Felicity asked, sipping on the frozen daiquiri he had made for her – despite the fact it was only 10am – the pink straw poised between her plump lips  
“Probably remove that pesky thing for you” he smiled, hooking a finger under the strap of her bikini  
“And I suppose in your script Emma would let him?”  
“Unequivocally”  
“So then, I’ll play for your script” she smiled her lips around the straw of her drink before settling it down on the table and twisting her back towards Oliver

“Excellent choice Miss Casey” Oliver kissed the words into her neck as his hands pulled simultaneously on the ties at the base of her neck and the middle of her back

He slinked the bikini top from her body and smiled as he held it up like a trophy.  
“Now what?” Felicity asked, sitting back into the lounger and taking another sip of her daiquiri, drops of cool condensation dripping over her fingers

“Now Aiden would ask his very lovely junior counsel to step into the pool”  
“Really?” she asked screwing up her nose “that seems too cliché for Aiden”  
“We’ll see” he winked, standing directly in front of her, licking his lip lightly as he gazed at her body  
“Fine, I’ll play along, but this better not be some terribly overplayed love scene in a pool” Felicity smiled, rising from the chair and following Oliver to the side of the large, square salt water pool.

Oliver stepped down the full-length steps of the pool as water spilled out in a constant cycle through three small waterfalls along the white stone wall that formed one of the sides of the pool.

He offered her hand and she took it as he led her down the stairs. The cold water lapped refreshingly against her body, picking at her exposed nipples as they waded further in. Oliver stopped she just the soft rise of her breasts and shoulders floated above the water.

He leaned in, pressing his lips onto Felicity’s as he walked her back up against the wall opposite the waterfalls, stopping only when her back was pushed up against the smooth titles of the pool wall. As his lips pulled away from hers, his teeth snagged gently against her lip, his mind still mesmerised by its pillowed softness.  
“Is this was the famously sexual Aiden Richards would do? Seduce the lady in a pool?”  
“Not exactly” he kissed the words into her collar bone, licking up the tiny droplets that were scattered across her silken skin.

His hands grazed up her arms, stopping at her shoulders. Lightly he turned her around, his chest now pushed up against her back as he kissed the hairline of her pulled back locks. Slowly he took each of her arms out of the water and folded them over the lip of the pool, crossing one arm over the other.

Felicity let him move her, a smile formed on her lips that moved up her cheeks and danced in her eyes. She felt him releasing the ties on either side of her matching blue-striped bikini bottom and she almost laughed as it made a most un-sexy plop on tiled surround outside the pool.

“You may need to sell this more Oliver, it seems awfully played out” Felicity smiled catching her lip between her own teeth, aware the action seemed to drive him wild

Oliver said nothing as he gently guided her hips to the left, moving her mere inches down the pool. His hand came out from the water as his raging erection pushed against her ass cheeks. She gasped at the surprise of it, figuring his member had sparked to life in the few short minutes since they had entered the pool.

He pulled away a hidden lid on the ground nearby the pool, exposing a few knobs and buttons in front of them that Felicity couldn’t peer over to read. He pushed in one button which started a low churning sound.

“I swear if you start playing Barry Manilow or something as equally pervy, I’m out-“  
She didn’t finish her sentence before she felt the rush of a water jet firing between her legs, skating just below her naked sex.

“Oh” was all she could say as his hands settled into her hips and he lowered her down slightly

She blinked incessantly as she let the illicit feeling _wash_ over – or through – her. It was erotic and borderline tantric as Oliver slowly rounded her hips into the pulse of water, hitting her almost with insane accuracy right beneath her bundled nerves.

In that instant Felicity lost her breath and any ability to form words, stuttering through sounds only as her head caved backwards, falling against the front of his shoulder.

Slowly he kissed his lips against her neck, licking and nibbling in on the softest of pulse points there, as she hummed at the corresponding sensations rippling through her body.

The fact that a water jet in a pool was giving her the most amazing feeling between her legs was not lost on her – this was most definitely something Aiden Rickards would do.

Her body almost fully relaxed into his as the euphoric pressure of the water spreading between her folds and running against her entrance and clit was, in itself, about to drive her over the edge.

“Stay with me Felicity, let’s make this last” Oliver whispered in his ear, so softly she thought she was imagining it

She felt his chest swoop down a little, her head now resting of the top of his shoulders as his hands came away from her hips, one settling across her chest, his forearms gliding against her budded nipples, the sensation of it pulling out a breathy moan from inside her.

His other hand glided down her ass, pressing his fingers in against it when he reached the curve of it.  
“Don’t let go, not yet” his breath was heavy against her neck, sticking to the small droplet of water the speckled her skin.

Oliver lifted her slightly above the stream of the jet, causing her to sigh her disappointment at the sudden theft of the pleasure she was deriving from it.  
“I think Aiden would take Emma right to the edge, then pull her back” he nuzzled in around her ear, snatching the lobe in between his teeth “at least say three times”

She felt his fingers walk between her folds, his wrist firm against her ass.  
“And, what would Oliver do?” she panted a slow response, her face twitching at the delicate way his hands moved over her raging heat  
“I’m going to aim for four times” he smiled, his tongue licking over the industrial bar at the tip of her ear, the mix of steel and salt water bouncing around his taste buds.

He savoured the taste of it, acutely aware that he had tasted a variety of new ‘flavours’ this week and if forced, he would struggle to pick a favourite. He wanted to relive each new one – stored for now in his memory banks – and he was almost certain he would start with this one. It was strangely non-sexual in itself – her ear, a steel piercing and remnants of salt water, but the way it shot blood straight to his cock was altogether explosive.

Felicity reached a hand around her back, blindly trailing it down the hard curves of his chest that over hung her small frame. Sliding her hand between her ass and his pelvis she sighed a panted cheer as her fingers found what she had been searching for.

Her nails gently scraped across the hilt of his cock causing him to nip down on her ear – a sensation she was not opposed to. She shifted her weight easily in the water, rolling her hips until she felt his shaft spring up between her legs.

It snapped up between her folds, tapping it as the water jet bobbed it up and down.  
“Oh, fuck” he groaned, the unusual sensation almost immoral in its perfection

His intentions of drawing her to the edge then pulling her back flew out the window as the sudden and surging desire to be inside her took over.

Oliver wondered for a moment if he had spoken his words out loud because Felicity had already moved to position the head of his swollen member at her pulsing entrance. His lips nestled in against her flushed and freckled shoulders, anxious to taste her skin as he slowly glided inside her.

Felicity gapped, breathless, at the slow and controlled way he entered her. She felt each millimetre, the pressure of it radiating through her walls. The weekend had left them tender and extra sensitive, but the slow crawl he was progressing was gentle enough to balance the pain with pleasure.

Her hands rested back up against the lip of the pool as her ass pulled up and her back arched down, allowing his just the right depth for him bury himself inside her. His hands fit snug against her waist as he pulled her gently downward, positioning her once more into the stream of the jet.

Her walls tightened around him at the exterior stimulus the forced water was pulsing against her folds; and he felt it too, the radiating sensation of the water against the underside of the base of his cock and against his balls – there was absolutely nothing either one could compare this to.

There was almost no need for any thrusting, her walls pushing in around him was almost all the stimulation his shaft could handle – also sensitive from the battering from the weekend’s escapades; that combined with the massaging rush of the water against his balls was almost enough. He moved just an inch back and forth inside her, pushing his head in against a spot that made her gasp and roll her ass against his chest, his eyes widening at the exceptionally pert view he was getting.

Unable to control himself he dropped his weight and head just enough to lick the top of her ass cheek before he suckled in against it, devilishly deciding to leave a mark of that sweet, supple ass of hers. Vigorously his mouth created a seal around her silken skin, sucking in the flesh of it, bruising the skin under his teeth and undoubtedly giving her a love bite that would stand up for at least a few days.

Neither was sure who came first – but the explosion was of nuclear proportions.

Number 7 for Felicity felt like the launch of a rocket ship – in fact if she was being honest, there was also a number 8 – as her body went into spasms around his twitching cock, spilling itself inside her, she decided this was definitely going on a tattoo, maybe like a small tree with branches to represent each orgasm and this final one – the bonus number 8 – would be the trunk.

* * *

  
“Bedroom?” Oliver asked as the two, now covered up with white, fluffy towels, walked into the house  
“Oliver, I can’t, my body needs some downtime” Felicity sighed, aware that each step she took was on the fence between erotic and painful.

“To watch a movie, cuddle, sleep. I promise, no hanky panky” Oliver smiled, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge.  
“You go, I’ll make some breakfast. How do you like your eggs?” he asked handing her the two bottles  
“Mmmm, omelette” she smiled, cocking her head to the side and batting her beautiful blue eyes up at him  
“Done” he replied, kissing a light peck against her forehead.

This was not _just_ fucking.

Twenty minutes later he was sitting beside her eating a shared omelette in bed and watching the first channel they turned the TV to, neither caring enough to change it. Her body, now covered in one of his t-shirts, melted in around his as his arms wrapped over hers in a scene that looked like it had come straight from a romantic comedy – it was picture perfect ‘Lazy Sunday’.

They stayed like that for near on half an hour before they both drifted off to sleep, letting the hours pass them by, happy and spent, in each other’s arms

* * *

  
“Calm down Thea, I can’t understand you when you’re talking at the speed of light” Oliver huffed down the phone as his sister spoke in broken sentences and expletives.

“Ollie, plug in your damn laptop and go to literally _any_ of the gossip sites, your peen is plastered all over them, fuck Ollie, I’m your sister and your part time publicist, I did not need to see any of that”  
“Firstly, you’re not my publicist, you appointed yourself that and secondly, what are you talking about, I haven’t left the house” Oliver answered as he turned on the small silver laptop sitting at the kitchen bench.

“Yea, I know you haven’t left the house all weekend, that’s in the article” she quipped back “I mean I understand you don’t care much, but Felicity, really? And with the other stuff too? – which I still can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me, does Felicity know about it? Does Chantelle know about Felicity – because if not, you have some serious explaining to do”

Oliver’s brow furrowed as his brain tried to keep up with the rambled words his sister was spouting.  
“Wait, what article? And you know about Felicity?” his eyes screwed shut trying to work through all her words as his finger tapped against his temple.

“You’re an idiot sometimes” Thea grumbled, he could hear her tapping away at something “I’ve sent you the link, check your email”

Within a minute the little message icon popped up and Oliver clicked on the non-descript link Thea had sent him. He idly glanced back towards the stairs, wondering when Felicity would be done in the shower she expressly forbade him from interrupting, as he waited for the webpage to load.

By the time he turned back he was greeted with a full-frontal picture of his _little Oliver_.  
“Shit” he gaped as the phone slipped from his hands and crashed to the floor.

He scrambled to collect it, his eyes still glued to the laptop – it took him at least 30 more seconds to register that these photos were taken this morning. There were at least three different pictures of his penis, including one that showed Felicity topless in the lounger next to him.

He hadn’t noticed the heading before now but his face grew hot with anger as he read over each word:  
_The Very Naked Truth: Co-Stars’ Cheating Scandal_

“Are you still there bro?” Thea asked, although she could hear the angry breathing quite well  
“There has to be laws against this, I’m on my own damn property”  
“Yea, you know, sure there is, but those photos have probably already circumvented the globe via social media, so, your peen is official already out there. I’m more concerned you didn’t tell me about Chantelle?”

“And that’s another thing, that headline is ridiculous, no one is cheating here, this has nothing to do with Chantelle” he rambled, tapping his fingers angrily onto the granite benchtop  
“Ollie, did you read the article?”  
“No, it’s rubbish”  
“Ollie, you need to read it, and maybe you should sit down”

Abiding by her requests, Oliver slumped down onto one of the leather and chrome barstools and began reading:

 _The next big role for Oliver Queen, star of the titillating legal sexudrama_ The Naked Truth _(Aiden Richards), will be the one of Daddy! The sexy star and his girlfriend, Chantelle Grey, are expecting their first child. When asked for comment Chantelle said that they were both surprised, but happy._

_Oliver must have been given a hall pass to celebrate as these pictures clearly show the star embroiled in a very heated exchange of acting tips with his much younger co-star Felicity Smoak. Which leaves us wondering if it was her two assets on display that landed her the role as Emma Casey on the hot show; and how his ‘surprised but happy’ pregnant girlfriend will feel after seeing these two Smoaking up the place._

“Oh shit” was all Oliver could manage  
“Why didn’t you tell me Chantelle was preggos, being an Aunt is a pretty big deal, although you could have chosen a-“  
“Thea, I have to go” Oliver interrupted, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder where he saw a very confused looking Felicity with a cell phone in her hands.

Oliver hung up the phone and took a few steps toward Felicity who was hovering on the second to last step of the beach wood staircase.

“I guess you saw it?” Oliver asked, his voice precariously quiet  
“My publicist is not happy and I am currently avoiding my mother, so yes, it’s safe to say I’ve seen it”  
“I don’t even know where to start” Oliver sighed, scaling his hands over each other  
“How about by just telling me the truth, are you still with Chantelle?”  
“No” came the resounding response  
“Is she pregnant?”  
“No-“ came the less sure response “I don’t know”  
He looked down at the number of missed calls on his phone and something in his stomach sunk.  
“Maybe” he spoke softly

“No maybe about it Oliver” a laugh came from entryway behind them  
“I’m pregnant and it’s your baby” Chantelle continued, dumping her handbag on the benchtop beside Oliver

“What the hell are you doing in my house?” Oliver snapped “How did you even get in?”  
“I still have a key, clearly your subconscious wasn’t ready to cut ties completely and-“ she smiled “as for why, I just had to see you and this little whore in the flesh”

Oliver opened his mouth to rebuke her choice of words, but he had barely taken a breath when she started back up.  
“I mean really Oliver, she’s a child. Does her mother know she’s here?” a laughed breath, before she continued, waving a hand towards where Felicity stood  
“You can leave now, let the grownups talk”

“You don’t get to talk to her like that and you certainly don’t get to do it in my house” Oliver responded, the vein at his temple pulsing  
“It’s fine Oliver, you two should talk and I have some people I need to call, so” Felicity waved the phone in her hands “I will leave that” she finished, gesturing towards the two of them before she disappeared back up the stairs.

 


	7. Almost Lover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Song:  
> Almost Lover  
> \- by A Fine Frenzy 
> 
> Thank you to those who answered my twitter prompt about normally unsexy body parts, I hope I have done your suggestion proud.

_**Goodbye, my almost lover** _  
_**Goodbye, my hopeless dream** _  
_**I'm trying not to think about you** _  
_**Can't you just let me be?** _  
_**So long, my luckless romance** _  
_**My back is turned on you** _  
_**Should've known you'd bring me heartache** _  
_**Almost lovers always do** _

Oliver’s hands were laced together and clasped over his head, his palms pushing in on his temples _this couldn’t be happening_.

“How did this happen?” he finally spoke as he paced the living room  
“Well, when a man and a woman love each-“ she started to replied snidely  
“You know what I mean, I thought you were protected” Oliver snipped, his eyes tracking across the room at her  
“Guess I wasn’t” Chantelle shrugged as she sat on the couch, idly flicking dirt from under her nails  
“We haven’t slept together since, what August?”  
Another shrug from her.

“It’s October! Are you telling me you’re over two months’ pregnant?” he looked down at her, barely a bump showing  
“I carry small. Do you fucking doubt this baby is yours?” she pushed herself up from the couch, stepping right into his face  
“Even if we were still together I would doubt whether it was mine. You were hardly faithful”  
“And the fuck you were?”  
“I never once cheated on you and you know it”  
“And the whore upstairs? Didn’t tap that before we broke up”  
“No” he replied indignantly  
“Yeah right, you’ve had heart eyes for her since the day she showed up on set. You didn’t think I would hear about that shit? Didn’t think I would notice the way you speak about her in interviews? She ‘lit up the room’ and ‘she’s amazing’. Yeah, you may not have fucked her, but don’t stand there and tell me you didn’t think about it”

Oliver snapped his head away, pacing to the side to instinctively put distance between them so his face wouldn’t betray him – he wouldn’t admit it, but she was right. There was just something about Felicity – a weightless air about her that wasn’t full of complications and damaged words. Her smile was genuine, not paid only to see what it could get in return. Her laugh was infectious, the sound of it filling a room with joy.

No, he wouldn’t admit it openly – but he had been enamoured with Felicity Smoak since their first scene together. She was everything he had longed to be a part of.

“You can’t even deny it, because it’s the truth, isn’t it Oliver?” her snippy tone yanked him back to the present and the reality ahead of him  
“We could argue who did what shitty thing during our relationship all day, but I don’t much see the point of it. You give me proof that child is mine, I think that’s only fair”

Felicity could hear almost every word as she crept down the stairs, her bag slung over her shoulders. She really, really needed to get out of this house – even if it meant doing so like a teenager trying to sneak out on a school night.

The last step creaked underfoot and she winced at the noise as two sets of eyes immediately landed on her.

Oliver made a beeline for her, stopping just in front of her, his eyes filled with a heaping of regret.  
“Please, don’t go just yet, we need to talk” he sighed, anxious to keep the words he spoke just to them  
“I don’t want to” she replied “I know that seems a little out of character for me, but I just can’t face a _talk_ right now”  
She bowed her head in an attempt to slide past him. He caught her wrist gently in his hand, his eyes pleading with her  
“Please Felicity”  
He beckoned her towards his office – a small room to the left of the stairs.

Every bone in her body wanted to refuse the request – to run a mile and not look back, but the blue of his pleading eyes drew her in and she reluctantly followed.

Oliver closed the door behind him, sealing their next words in the room.  
“I didn’t know about any of this, I’m sorry, if I had I would have told you” he started, touching a hand to her waist

She simply nodded, her arms folded across her chest, one hand grazing the side of her neck – her body instinctively protecting her heart.

“I’m sorry about the article, I know it makes us look terrible”  
“Well not exactly” she shrugged, her lips pursed somewhere between a smile and a frown.  
“You come off looking like a stud, I” her words trailed off as she took a deep breath “I come off looking like a homewrecker who got her job on her knees, so I think maybe this is a little worse for me than for you”

“I’m the cheater according to them” his slight chuckle hoping to lighten the mood fell flat  
“But it’s always the other woman’s fault. I’m the Eve to your Adam, you were tempted by me, drawn in, deceived by my womanly charms” she could feel the tears welling up inside – she was desperate not to shed them, not here, not now

“None of its true” he soothed, his palm trekking down her arm  
“Well, truth is all circumstantial, people will believe what they want to”

She stepped away from him, hoisting her bag further up her shoulder.  
“You know what, I really can’t have this discussion right now Oliver. I know what the inference was in that article, I know that’s what the vloggers and the bloggers say about me and I also know that none of that is _your_ fault, but right now I’m angry. I want to be angry and I’m sorry but _yours_ is the face that makes me the angriest. So let’s not talk, not now. Now I just need to go”

She could feel one tear escape, followed by another, before she swiped them away.

Oliver watched her leave, desperate to ask her to stay – but he understood, he knew what she said was the truth, she would always be painted as the villain, he – the man – was just her willing victim.

***-*-*-***

Felicity walked from the room, desperate to hasten her escape. She didn’t even look up as she passed by the couch where Chantelle had made herself comfortable again.  
“Make sure you smile for the cameras out there Felicity, bye now” Chantelle laughed snidely

Felicity took a breath as she reached for the door handle and pulled open the front door – she soon realised Chantelle was not joking as lights flashed down by the curb.  
Great, walk of shame was all she could think as she hastily walked down the garden path

She manoeuvred her way through the five or so different photographers that had taken up residence on the sidewalk, ignoring the bombard of questions:  
_Are you having an affair with Oliver Queen?_  
_How long have you been sleeping together?_  
_Did you know he had a girlfriend?_  
_Are you pregnant too?_  
_What’s his favourite position?_

The last one made her head jolt up, but she stayed silent as she fumbled with her keys at the driver’s door of her little car.

She could have sworn she heard angels rejoicing as the key finally went in and she was able to slip inside and close off the stupid questions that were still being fired her way. She said a silent prayer that the car would start which was, thankfully, answered moments later as the engine sparked to life and she drove off.

Work tomorrow would be – _interesting_.

***-*-*-***

Felicity could hear a pin drop when the voices suddenly stopped as she walked onto the set. It was a studio day, for the most part, and her shoes carried a heavy echoed as they tapped out her walk across the polish concrete floor.

They all knew – she could tell just by looking at their faces.

“Well now, this is awkward” Thea whispered as she caught Felicity’s arm, folding her own through, linking their two arms  
“They’re probably just all jealous” the young Queen smiled as she walked Felicity away from the heat of stares  
“Because you have a fantastic rack, like seriously, bravo” she continued, coming to a stop in an empty part of the room

 _Great, even his sister knew_  
Felicity’s face grimaced.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make matters worse” Thea offered, her eyebrows furrowed apologetically  
“It’s okay, I guess I’m just feeling the heat of it all, I should take this lying down-“ Felicity stopped mid-sentence realising what she had said sounded way more seedy than she had intended it to

Thea’s lips turned up into a smile, a soft giggle emanating from her face.  
“Yeah, I heard that too” Felicity smiled through a sigh  
“Look, I know my brother, he’s a good guy and I think he honestly does care about you a lot. There was no way he knew about Chantelle” she spoke, her eyes kind “all the gossip will die out eventually and you guys can-“

“I’m just going to stop you there. Your brother and me, it’s complicated, probably too complicated to see it go any further” Felicity’s heart sank as she spoke the words that she didn’t want to believe, but she wasn’t built for complicated and being with Oliver would be nothing but complicated.

Thea’s eyes saddened, mirroring Felicity’s.  
“I should go, I’m due in makeup” Felicity offered a weak smile before she walked away, her head hung low to avoid the glares still directed at her

She had no idea how she was going to get through filming today – given she knew precisely what was in the script.

 ***-*-*-***  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“You requested to be placed with O’Donnell?” Aiden leaned over Emma’s shoulder, waving a piece of paper under her nose

“I thought those HR requests were confidential” Emma replied reaching for the paper before Aiden snapped it away  
“Not the point, but you do know it’s my name on the big brass sign by the elevators downstairs right, and on the pen you’re using” he smiled as he twisted the pen to show the firm’s name

“Technically, this Richards is your father, not you. You’re not a partner”  
“Yet”  
Felicity huffed as she stood from the desk and walked towards the copier  
“Why did you ask for a transfer? O’Donnell does company law, that’s far too boring for you”  
“Actually, it’s not I find company law to be very interesting” she spoke, refusing his eye contact as she pushed the document into the top feeder

“Bullshit, no one finds it interesting” Aiden laughed, leaning his elbow down on the copier lid  
“It’s important junior lawyers get a feel for everything” she shut her eyes as the words left her mouth, she just knew he was going to pick up on that.

“I let you get a feel for-“  
“Don’t, don’t you dare say what it is you’re going to say” she hissed under her breath, twisting to face him and his big smirk  
She huffed turning back to the copier as she punched in her code and started it up.

“It’s just a transfer to work underneath” she grimaced “ _with_ someone else”  
“O’Donnell is gay”  
“I’m aware” she quipped, gathering her things from the copier as walking towards her desk  
“This is about last week isn’t it? Your bare ass on…”

Emma pushed him roughly into an empty office and closed the door.  
“Can we not talk about that in an open office environment?” she spoke, closing the door and pushing the weight of her body against it

“In fact, let’s just agree to not talk about that ever again. At all. Ever”  
“You didn’t enjoy it?” he stepped towards her “because from where I was standing, it sounded like you enjoyed it”

“Look, last week was” she paused, rolling her words over her next choice of words “nice, but it was unprofessional and clearly a mistake for both of us, so let’s just forget it ever happened, I will go do company law for a few months, it will be fine”

“I never said it was a mistake” Aiden spoke, the gruff of his voice doing that reverb between her legs again _dammit_  
“You don’t need to say it, given _this_ is the first time you have spoken to me since, it’s clear that you feel it was a mistake” she stiffened her back as she watched his eyes linger over her “as do I” she added

“No you don’t” he smirked  
“You presume too much”  
“That was not the orgasm of a woman who would regret it afterwards”  
“You clearly rate yourself too. It had just been sometime, a vibrator would have done just as well”  
She hated herself for sharing this sort of information, but she could tell he was trying to get the upper hand, trying to make her nervous and giddy and she was not having any of it.

Aiden stepped back and laughed, his eyes dancing in the sheer delight at the quips she was handing him back.

“I accept the challenge” he smiled, his tongue swiping over his lips  
“I didn’t pose a challenge”  
“Yes you did. Take a long lunch, get yourself a wax and work late tonight. I’ll see you in my office at eight”

She opened her mouth to reject every single part of his sentence but before she could formulate her response he had already glided past her and disappeared down the hall.

“What the actual fuck?” she muttered to herself, holding her paper tight against her chest

***-*-*-***

The scene ended and Felicity relaxed her painted pink lips as a bustle of people moved around nearby. She waited patiently for the continuality shots to be taken before she was excused from set. Lunchtime couldn’t come soon enough.

She had been waiting most of the morning to be called into an office – a door closed behind her and getting handed her severance cheque. Felicity was almost sure she was going to get fired, but no such event had happened.

When she saw the EPs’ assistant walking towards her, she cursed herself under her breath for speaking too soon.

***-*-*-***

The door to the little office closed – just like she had imaged it would. She felt infinitely tiny as she looked at the faces around the room, two EPs, a studio executive and two others she didn’t recognise, but assumed they were probably from the legal and HR departments.

“Take a seat Felicity” it seemed only the studio executive was going to be speaking for the room  
All eyes around the room watched her as she slipped into the plain office chair, her hands folded over her lap  
“Firstly, this is Mike Lee from our legal department”  
_Tick_  
“And this is Michelle Brand from HR”  
_Double tick._  
“I’m going to level with you, we have all seen the pictures and we’ve already spoken with Oliver this morning”  
_Should she have representation in here too?_

“We have always preferred that co-stars don’t sleep together”  
_Wow, he was being really blunt_  
“But we also understand in this line of business it happens. You’re both adults, what you chose to do in your own time is, for the most part, your own business”  
_But…_  
“But..”  
_Tick_  
“…we do expect that should you continue with this relationship, you be a bit more discrete in the circumstances”  
_Huh?_  
“The studio has seen worse pictures cross our desk Ms Smoak, we’re aware of what happens outside these walls; in some cases within the walls too; we don’t dictate your private lives, but we do ask that you maintain a certain image at least on the surface”

“So I’m not fired?”  
“No Ms Smoak, you’re not fired. It seems you have struck up quite a fan base across social media already, we’re very lucky to have found you”  
“Oh, well” she brushed her hands nervously over her knees “I’m not sure what to say”  
“You needn’t say anything, we just wanted to assure you that we support you” he gestured her hand towards the door indicating she could leave

“Well, that’s exceptional news, thank you, gentlemen” she stood up and bowed “and lady” she added before awkwardly pacing to the door.

***-*-*-***

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked, catching her up as she walked towards her trailer  
“Surprisingly yes” she puffed, continuing her pace  
“Can we talk inside?” he asked as they reached her trailer door.  
She still wasn’t entirely sure that she could face him, but they worked together – there had to be a way to make this work.

“I guess so” she shrugged  
She noticed the few around the trailer that watched as the two of them entered, which was why she decided to clip the door open – maybe that would stifle any more rumours

“Can we close that?” Oliver asked pointing to the door  
“I think it’s better it stay open”  
“We have nothing to be ashamed about, neither one of us is doing anything wrong”  
“No, but that’s not how it’s perceived, so for now, let’s just leave it open, please”

She could tell he wanted to argue the point some more, but his soft sigh also indicated he had decided it wasn’t worth it.

“I still want to see you”  
_Straight into it, although she was waiting for a ‘but…’_  
“But…”  
_Tick, she should make money doing this_  
“I know that things seem complicated and I understand if you don’t want that in your life”  
“Look Oliver” she squinted up one side of her face “why don’t you just be honest, just tell me that this isn’t going to work between us, tell me you don’t love me, you never have, you never will, just don’t dangle something that isn’t going to happen in front of me like it will, because that’s not fair”

His lips pressed upon hers without warning. Warm and soft against her pouted ones. She breathed him in as his lips moved slowly across hers, dancing like a feather across her shaking ones. It felt like a first kiss and a last kiss rolled into one.

She pulled away first, less than an inch, his breath hot and sticky against her flushed face.

He could see it written clearly across her face. _She wasn’t okay with complicated._  
“Please don’t walk away from this, give me a chance to work this out”  
“I don’t want to walk away, but I think right now we need space. I don’t want to be something you regret”  
“You’re not and you won’t me. I’m in this”  
His hand caught her arm, his thumb sweeping over her skin and leaving goose bumps in its wake.  
“Please, I don’t want space, not from you”

She knew the truth was she didn’t either…. _but_  
“Oliver, just deal with what you need to first”  
She stepped from the doorway of the trailer, the inference obvious.

He nodded, side-stepping her as he walked from her trailer.  
_Complicated_.  
She knew the next scene would make it all the more so.

 ***-*-*-***  
**[The Naked Truth]**

  
Emma knocked on Aiden’s office door a few minutes after half seven.  
When no answer came she leaned over and glanced in the office, he was on the phone. He caught her eye and waved for her to come in. She shook her head, but his wave became even more forceful.

She entered the room, closing the door with a soft click behind her, twitching at each sound it made.  
“No, I don’t see the problem” he was leaning back in the large chrome and leather chair  
“You should have thought about that before you filed the motion”  
Aiden smiled as he lay his palm flat against the glass desk and offered her a wink answer he rubbed circles on it.

Emma rolled her eyes – she knew exactly what that bastard was insinuating.

“Look if you have evidence that my client took to your witness with a baseball bat, present it tomorrow, otherwise I have much more pressing matters to attend to”  
Seconds later he held the phone out with a disgusted look plastered on his face.

“Bastard hung up on me” he quipped as he placed the phone back into its cradle  
“I’m not surprised” Emma replied, a fingers habitually running over the crease of her eye  
“You’re early, but that’s fine, we can start now” he stood up and started clearing loose objects from his desk

“No, you don’t need to do that” she caught his hand as he was moving the phone  
“Last time you almost broke it, I think it’ll be safer if I move it” he spoke, blinking his insanely blue eyes up at her  
“Nope, you’re not following me. You don’t need to do _that_ because _this_ ” she waved a hand between the two of them “isn’t happening”  
“It’s not?” he stopped looking at her quizzically  
“No, it’s not” she replied with an arched brow  
“What a waste of a wax” he sighed, shaking his head back and forth slowly

“I didn’t get one, I had a short lunch that I ate at my desk” she replied, pursing her lips like she had just bested him in a game of poker  
“So we’re not having sex?”  
“Most definitely not”

“Hm” he replied simply as he walked around from behind the desk, his hands smoothing down the lapels of his fine wool grey suit jacket  
She watched him with dubious eyes as he kicked his brown leather loafers across the floor, taking his time to walk up to her

She felt her body go ridged as he inched his way closer.  
“That’s a shame”  
She knew what he was doing, he was trying to get her to ask why – but she wasn’t going to play into his little game.  
“I’m sure it is” she replied simple, her lips turning up into a soft smile  
“I was going to enjoy licking a very slow path up your thigh and then burying my tongue inside you”

Emma swallowed down the lump that instantly formed in her throat as he eyes blew wide open.  
“You’re very forward Aiden”  
He smiled as she spoke his name, the way it bounced off her pouted lips making him almost instantly hard.

“You don’t like that?”  
“Not when I know you’ve used the same line on a many a woman, most, if not all, of which would have foolishly fallen for it. You’re a hunter Aiden but I am not your prey”  
“That sounds like a very interesting costume choice” he smiled, his eyes flickered with playfulness  
“You can use all the sexual innuendo you like, there is nothing unique about what you do. Try to make a girl feel sexy by talking about your cock and her” she struggled to find a word that didn’t sound like she was teaching a high school sex education class “bits, but really that’s a pretty easy, but if you were to take something significantly un-sexy and make a woman want to sleep with you, well then – and only then, would I be impressed Mr Richards” she ended formally to make her point as headed towards the door.

“Okay, name something that is significantly unsexy” he replied, without a hint of sarcasm in his tone  
She turned, her eyes narrowing in on him to decide whether this was actually a request he wanted her to answer.  
“Go on, name a body part that you would ordinarily find un-sexy” he continued, his hands slipping into the pocket of his pants

“Fine, elbows” she shrugged, thinking of the first thing that popped into her head  
“Like this part?” he quizzed, his thumb skirting up to the inside crook of her elbow, sliding the ¾ sleeve of her black cardigan up her arm  
“No, that’s nice soft skin, it wouldn’t be hard to make that sexual. I mean that weird dry knobby bit that people call the funny bone as some sort of irony because it’s anything but funny when you smack it on a doorframe…”

She stopped babbling as his fingers gently scraped in over that exact part of her body.  
“This bit?” he was pushing circles with his trimmed nails against it

She bit her lip at the sensation and nodded.  
She could do this. She could resist Aiden Richards.

“Do you know the elbow is an erogenous zone?” he spoke in a low growl, almost a purr  
She licked her lips before she realised it as his thumb stroked the inside curve.  
“Granted it’s this part” he lifted her arm as licked his tongue across the inside crease of her skin sending a sudden jolt down her body she couldn’t help but shiver at it  
“I told you not that part, you’re cheating” she spoke, her words barely above a whisper – two could play at that game

“So you did” he spoke the words into her skin, brushing each syllable with a kiss  
Emma held her breath as he pushed a warm, dewy kiss firm against her skin, nibbling in just a scratch which he then proceeded to smooth down with the tip of his tongue

“So, stop cheating” she breathed through the arousal  
She heard the pop of his lips leaving her skin.  
“You know the problem with this area?” he asked, running his fingertips over the straightened knob of her elbow  
“It’s completely un-sexual?” she fluttered her eyelashes against her pale complexion  
“No” his hands tracked down her arms, settling his grip around her wrists “it’s trying to get the right angle on them”

He walked her backwards, stopping only when her back was firm against the office door. With an effort not soft or rough he guided her arms above her head, looping one behind the other, bending  her elbows pointedly.

A smile grew over Aiden’s lips raising the ridiculously seductive mole to the side. He didn’t say a word as his lips encased her exposed arm, taking the rough skin into his hot, soft mouth. His breath was stark against her chilled skin and his tongue was gentle across the thinned skin.

Emma bit her lip, tightly snagging it between her teeth to stifle any noises that would give away just how much she was enjoying this. She felt his teeth pulling across her skin, grazing it slightly before his pouted lips kissed it in a delicate balance of hard and soft.

“Fuck” Aiden groaned against her skin, tightening the hand that held her wrists pinned to the door.  
“You give up?” she almost laughed to hide the disappointment  
“Quite the opposite, in my attempt to turn you on I seemed to have developed a rather insatiable fetish for your elbow”  
“Well, you should have thought about that before you filed your motion” she breathed the words into his ear, hawking back to the exact, but unrelated, words he had spoken down the phone.

“If you think me young, impressionable and easily swayed Mr Richards, you have miscalculated, I am none of those things”  
She slid her hands out from his grip.  
“It would seem you have only successfully aroused yourself” she smiled, patting the tented inseam of his pants, pushing her palm against the hardened shaft of his member.

“Have fun with that” she drew a line across her lip with the tip of her tongue as she opened the office door behind her.  
“Goodnight Aiden” Emma spoke over an exhale, pushing each word toward him before she slipped out the door and started down the corridor.

She walked with purpose, fully aware of the pounding arousal beating between heat, but that would be her little secret.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elbows....who knew?!  
> Did I make them sexy?


	8. Speeding Cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Song:  
> Speeding Cars  
> \- by Walking on Cars

_**So if I stand in front of a speeding car** _  
_**Would you tell me who you are, what you like?** _  
_**What's on your mind, if I'd get it right?** _  
_**How I love that no one knows** _

_We need to talk, please_  
Felicity stared at the message on her phone as she sat cross legged on the puffy yellow duvet atop her bed taping the phone against her horse-shoe patterned socks. The message was from Oliver, sent and received two hours ago.

He had tried to call her, but she had sat motionless staring at his picture flash up across the screen. Graciously she had not been required on set today so she had spent the better part of the day in her oversized t-shirt and sweatpants – ignoring Oliver. Until she had settled in to eat leftover pizza in the late afternoon and attempt to watch a show that seemed to hold little interest for her anymore.

She knew what they needed to talk about – but she didn’t want to. Even if that made her a coward or a fool, she didn’t want to have to admit that _this_ , them, was over before it really had a chance to begin.

Felicity had considered the flipside of the coin, that Oliver was calling to tell her with the utmost certainly that Chantelle was not carrying his baby and that he wanted to be with her…but her heart told her that wasn’t what “ _we need to talk_ ” meant – no, something like that would come with words like “ _great news, can I call you?_ ”

She had decided yesterday that she wouldn’t complicate matters for him, it was better that she stepped away from whatever _they_ were so he could have a real chance at being a family. It wasn’t that she was a martyr or that she even cared slightly about Chantelle and this wasn’t about jobs, media or scrutiny from those who didn’t really know anything… her reasons were simple, she didn’t know her father – he had left when she was young. All she had of him were patches of memories, small snap shots – although she never really knew if those were real, or memories her young brain had given her all those years ago to try and give her a silver lining on what was a particularly dark cloud.

She didn’t want the same blurred memories of a father for Oliver’s child – not because of her.

The phone vibrating in her palm dragged her back to the present as blinked down at the display – another person she had been avoiding, but this one would be far more persistent.

“Hi Mom” she sighed as she answered the call, pouring another glass of wine from the bottle on her bedside table  
“Oh my sweet baby girl, do you need your mom to fly out to see you?” Donna cooed down the phone  
“No, really, it’s fine” Felicity replied tracing the pattern on her sock with an idle finger  
“I’m hearing no, but I’m feeling yes”  
“No, mom, you’re just hearing no, really it’s fine. My agent Anastasia say it will all blow over, it’s fine, I’m fine, it’s fine”  
“Sweetheart, you just said fine four times”  
“That’s because it is fine. You don’t need to come up, honestly” Felicity sighed, her mind filing through valid reasons to end the call  
“Well, that might be a problem”  
“Why?”  
“Take a quick peak out the window will you”  
“Mom, noooo” Felicity huffed as she reached behind the bedhead and pulled back the net curtain and looked straight down at her mother standing on the edge of the foot path in the dimming afternoon light in a bright blue mini dress holding a pull-along suitcase and waving frantically.

Felicity squeezed her eyes shut and fell back onto the bed.  
“I’ll buzz you up” she groaned

***-*-*-***

Oliver sighed as he glanced down at his phone, she hadn’t returned a single one all day and he couldn’t get his mind off her.

“I’m glad you could come” Chantelle spoke up, her voice showing just a hint of genuineness – but right now Oliver wasn’t in the mood to argue  
“You’ll see the dates work out” she continued, rubbing her palms down her barely rounded stomach

He sat back into the chair of the small examine room, his head a mixture of thoughts emotions. Chantelle had refused to do a DNA text until after the child was born, leaving a huge question mark lingering over everything.

The possibility that Oliver could be a father was equal parts terrifying and exciting. Five years ago it would have been simply terrifying, but he was older now, settled with a good job and the thought of starting a family had crossed his mind – but regardless of all that, this was not the way it was supposed to happen.

He didn’t love Chantelle – not anymore at least – but a part of him felt overwhelming guilt that leaving her would be a mark of red in his ledger – it would be a failure.

This dating scan would show the age of the foetus – anything less than 10 weeks and Oliver walked out of here definitely not the father, anything more than that and he walked out quite possibly one.

The process of the sonographer walking into the room, applying the cool jelly to Chantelle’s stomach and watching as a picture on the overhead monitor showed a mess of black and white imagery that Oliver tried to follow, all seemed to move in slow motion. He lost words, as if hearing them underwater, just the constant sound of his thumping heart echoing through his ears – at least until he heard…

“Based on the length and size, I would say you’re about 10 weeks along, congratulations, everything looks healthy and on track…”

Now all Oliver could hear was the deafening ticking of the clock on the wall behind him as he finally saw what the sonographer was referring to – he saw a baby.

A baby that could very well be his.

***-*-*-***

“Why are you here mom?” Felicity sighed, leaning against the back of her apartment door  
“A mother can’t visit her daughter in the wake of a sex scandal?”  
Felicity screwed her eyes shut, tapping the base of her skull on the door, it sounded exceptionally seedy when her mother said it

“That’s not what this is?” Felicity sighed “was” she corrected  
Donna shrugged her shoulders, pulling of the white coat that looked like it was once a fluffy rug.  
“Well whatever it is, I’m sad you didn’t tell me Oliver Queen was your co-star”  
“Well he is the show Mom, so-“  
“You told me I wasn’t allowed to watch it” Donna retorted her head dropped to one shoulder  
“That still stands” Felicity quipped  
“Well I might be ignoring you on that request. Do the two of you” she winked “on the show?”

Felicity huffed, padding over to the fridge, pulling it open to stare at its almost bare shelves. _She really needed to leave the house_.

“Sex is nothing to be ashamed about, you looked like you were really enjoying it” Donna remarked sitting on one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar

Felicity’s head popped out over the top of the refrigerator door.  
“Enjoying what?” she asked, her brows pulled in as her eyes narrowed  
“The sex, duh” Donna laughed, flipping back a section of tumbled blond hair  
“I don’t follow” Felicity replied, her chin rested on the refrigerator door like a body-less ornament

“In the pool, he’s behind you, you have orgasm face” Donna gestured a hand in circles over her face with a grin  
“Shut the front door, there are, no, there aren’t. Oh my god, where did you see this?” Felicity stammered her eyes opened wide  
“Oh some explicit website has a video of it, a lady at work sent me the link. I wasn’t always sure you and I had much in common, but I pull the same face”

Felicity cupped her hand over her mouth the absolute horror of Donna’s words echoing through her brain – there was a video  
_We need to talk_

“It’s nothing to be ashamed about Felicity, you should be proud of your sexuality, especially with a fine piece of-“  
“Please don’t finish that sentence” Felicity groaned, burying her head back in the fridge  
_There had to be something to drink in here._

She heard the clunk of glass on the breakfast bar and she peered around the refrigerator door to investigate.  
“I thought you could probably use a drink, I picked something up on my way over” Donna smiled, peeling back the foil on the rosè wine  
Felicity smiled at the gesture and stepped back from the fridge, pushing the white door closed with a flick of her hip.

“That looks about perfect” she sighed, grabbing two glasses from the overhead cupboard

She padded over to the breakfast bar and set down the wine glasses, watching the bubbles of the wine float up the sides of the glass as Donna poured them.

“So, what has you moping about your apartment in a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants?” Donna asked, sliding the obscenely filled glass across the smooth granite top to Felicity  
“Just a day off” Felicity shrugged, leaning her elbows against the white slab

“You know I don’t believe that for a minute” Donna replied, sipping back on her glass  
“It’s complicated”  
“Is he married?”  
“No”  
“Is he engaged?”  
“No”  
“Is he still with this other woman?”  
“No, I don’t think so” Felicity groaned, her head softly rolling from shoulder to shoulder  
“So how complicated could it be? You clearly like each other. He’s hot, successful and can make you orgasm, that’s the trifecta there hon” Donna smiled, raising her glass in the air before she took another sip of the pink-toned wine

“That other woman is pregnant and there is a real chance it could be his”  
“So? Did he say he wants to try again with her?”  
“Not exactly, but he should, shouldn’t he?”  
“Hon, you don’t stay in a bad relationship just because there are kids, in fact if there are kids that ought to be a good reason to _not_ stay in a bad relationship. The truth always shows itself and kids pick up on that, if you’re unhappy, they’ll know”

Felicity sighed out an exasperated breath.  
“I just don’t want to be the reason he doesn’t try” she spoke softly  
“Maybe this is something you should be talking to him about”  
Donna pushed Felicity’s phone across the surface towards her, tapping a brightly painted pink nail on the screen.  
“All I’m saying is that you should let him decide, don’t forgo your own happiness because you think you know what he needs”

Felicity stared down at the phone, of course her Mom was right….but all the same.  
“I know, just” Felicity paused, running a hand through her pulled back locks “just not tonight”

***-*-*-***

Felicity sat in the make up chair, idly scrolling through social media accounts until she had seen quite enough emojis pasted over her boobs. She had to admit the melons were a particularly funny touch.

She had successfully avoided Oliver all morning, ducking into a side room when she saw him walking down a hall – it was ridiculous and childish, but she had done it all the same, afraid of the talk that they inevitably had to have.

She had thought long and hard about what her mother had said, all night playing the scenarios through her head, but any course left her feeling empty or guilty. There didn’t seem to be a right choice in this circumstance.

Felicity had become wrapped up in her own thoughts as she sat alone in the make-up room that she didn’t notice Oliver walk in or sit down beside her, not until he cleared his throat and said her name.  
“Felicity?”  
She looked up, hoping to see the reflection of the make-up artist in the mirror, but seeing Oliver’s instead  
_Damnit_ she thought to herself realizing they were alone in the room.

“Can we talk?” he asked, leaning forward in the simple black chair, his hands clasped in front of him  
“Sure” she replied simply, toying with the glasses she had already put on  
“So there’s a video”  
“I know”  
“I have some lawyers filing an injunction to have it taken down, I’ll have it taken down”  
“Thank you”  
“I’m really sorry about that, about everything”  
Felicity shrugged “I’m told we looked good at least” she faked a small chuckle  
“I imagine we look really good together”  
“That’s sounds like a statement that is usually followed with a but” she tried to smile, her heart crawling up her throat

“I went to a dating scan for the baby yesterday”  
Felicity watched as his eyes dropped to the floor  
_Congratulations, but pick me_ her mind selfishly screamed  
“Oh, and?”  
“The dates mean it could be mine” he looked up to catch the smile fall for a second from her face  
“Well I guess congratulations then Oliver, that’s..” _wonderful? Fantastic? Awful? Shitty?_ “nice” she settled on

“What we had-“ she could see the next words painted on his face  
Felicity took a sharp inhale, this was too painful to dissect.  
“What we had was nice, but it was short. It’s okay Oliver, I understand you need to concentrate on the possibility that the child is yours. Don’t worry about it”

“Felicity, I don’t know what I should do”  
“Yes you do Oliver. We both do” she sighed

  
**_And these secrets all that we've got so far_ **  
**_The demons in the dark, lie again_ **  
**_Play pretends like it never ends_ **  
**_This way no one has to know_ **

Oliver opened his mouth to speak when the door opened and an intern appeared almost breathless in the doorway.

“You’re both wanted on set, we’re ready to film”

Felicity stood from the chair, thankful for the interruption and pulled a smile up from her depths with everything that she had. What they had was over now.

***-*-*-***  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“That was mean, last night, leaving me like that” Aiden smiled as he watched the last colleague leave the boardroom

Emma looked up from her task of collecting the left over papers and scattering of pens from the early morning meeting.  
“So is that why I got the memo to take minutes for this meeting, you’re punishing me?” she raised an eyebrow as she smoothed her palm down her black pencil skirt

“Do you like being punished?” he smirked, tapping a gold plated pen on the tinted glass table  
“Just stop it Aiden, you sound like a misogynistic pig, and for some reason you think that’s endearing” Emma snapped, the anger in her tone all too obvious

“Is this just about the minute taking? Because I actually thought it would be good for your career to meet other principals in the firm” Aiden responded, standing up from the chrome and leather office chair

“This isn’t about that Aiden” Emma sighed, tapping the loose papers on the boardroom table  
“You had my request denied” she sighed, her anger switching to disappointment “you seem to think I’m a pawn for you to control, but I’m not”

Aiden walked around the corner of the table, dragging his cleanly manicured fingertips along the edge.  
“I didn’t tell HR to deny your request. In fact I told them they should allow you the move” he stated, stopping his advancement towards her a few feet from where she stood

Emma looked up at him, the confusion written across the arch of her brow.  
“Then why would they turn it down? They said I was needed here” she stopped to catch the crisp blue eyes that were staring her down “I just assumed it was you”

“Emma, I don’t know why your transfer was denied, but I swear to you I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m not in a position to force someone to stay”  
Aiden took a step forward, his strong broad chest, clothed in a fine navy suit mere inches from her.  
Emma watched as he blinked down before scouting his eyes back up to meet hers – not spending his normal lurid amount of time crawling up her body.

“I can talk to HR about having you moved”  
He spoke simply, without his usual overconfident charm, before he nodded his head softly and slipped past her

Emma held her tongue for a few seconds, holding back the words she had been thinking now for some time. Her face twitched at the internal screaming before she finally opened her pink painted lips, letting the words spill from her mouth  
“I don’t think you’re a misogynistic pig” she blurted out, turning on the heels of her black mary janes to see face his back

Aiden stopped, his hand poised on the boardroom door.  
“Yes you do Emma” he replied with a soft smile  
“No, I don’t” she spoke shortly “I do think you act like one and I haven’t been able to decide why”  
“Maybe I act this way because I _am_ this way” his eyes flickered a little darker shade of blue in the overhead lights as he dropped the handle of the door and took a step towards her

“There is nothing to figure out Emma, I am what you think I am. The stupidly rich son of a bastard lawyer who, most of the time, gets what he wants. I enjoy fast cars and casual hook ups. Don’t look for anything deeper, it’s not there” he spoke with a rehearsed nature, his hands delving into his pockets however suggested the opposite

Emma blew out a soft sigh of disbelief as she gathered the papers in her hands and started towards him  
“When you actually decide to be honest about it Aiden, maybe give me a call” she spoke, stopped so her shoulder lightly touched his arm

“I’m not sure how you’re such a good lawyer, you’re a terrible liar” she remarked, brushing a soft palm down his arm  
He didn’t catch her eyes, but Emma felt him flinch against her touch, as though it was a new sensation to him.

She watched as his lips folded inward and his tongue absently swiped across his bottom lip. It looked as though he was about to say something, but Emma noticed as he swallowed the words down, his eyes staying directly forward.

“You’re not this mask that you wear Aiden, stop trying so hard to give that impression”  
Emma left the words to hang beside his ear before she left the room, her shoes tapping out a rhythm on the marble floors as Aiden listened to her leaving.

***-*-*-***

“Okay, that was great guys, the tension was palpable, good job” the director smiled, waving busy switch around.

The space around Oliver filled up with busy people pulling down lighting and equipment, returning the space to the simple boardroom is actually was.

Oliver hadn’t been acting when his body had flinched under her touch, or when he had to stifle the words threatening to come out of his mouth. There was much he wanted to say to Felicity, forgetting for a few moments where they were.

As his look was being documented Oliver wondered whether anyone would notice the switch of his eyes – the very real Oliver desperate to talk to a woman he cared immensely for.

Felicity had seen it, the flickering of Oliver taking over the stoic eyes of Aiden; and for a few equally short moments perhaps she had been Felicity instead of Emma as she walked away from him, swallowing back the overwhelming sense of foreshadowing.

She knew what she wanted to do, what felt right – or at least what she thought did. She had allowed herself to fall head over heels in love with someone who wasn’t – or couldn’t be or shouldn’t be – in a position to love her back.

Her agent had argued and pleaded with her to change her mind, but it had already been made up.

***-*-*-***

The rest of the day’s scenes had all been a blur to Oliver, there had been no other shots with Felicity – just a litany of other moments back at the lot that he seemed to struggle to get through. The director and anyone in the near vicinity could see it – Oliver was decidedly unfocused and unusually faltering.

He hadn’t seen Felicity the whole afternoon, but had heard that she was doing some promotional interviews in one of the small offices down the end of the studio building – where he now found himself heading, his hands rolling nervously over each other, as he muttered words to himself, trying to remember and organize his thoughts.

He stopped abruptly when a door opened in front of him and Felicity stepped out from the room.

She stopped when her face caught sight of his as she pulled the office door closed with a click.

“Can we talk? I just feel like we left things at a really awkward place” Oliver stammered nervously  
Felicity took a step backwards, instinctively building an invisible wall between them.  
“I think we left things where they should be left Oliver. We don’t need to do this dance around. What we had was fun, but the ride has come to an end” she spoke softly the words she had practiced in her head

“If you could just give me some more time to sort everything out”  
“You don’t need time Oliver, I’m making this simple. I’ll step away so you don’t need to choose” she replied, her lips softly rolling over into a subdued smile

“You’re not a bad person and I don’t have any regrets, but this is the safest way to be, you should go back to her. Try and be a family” she sighed reservedly  
Oliver wanted to refute the words she spoke, but what she said held truth. If this baby was his he had to do everything in his power to be in his or her life – he couldn’t bear the thought of anything less.

**_This is the safest way_ **  
**_Nobody gets hurt_ **

**_You go back to him and then I’ll go back to her_ **

“And what about us” he looked down before blinking his eyes back up to her “working together”

“We’ll be fine, we’re both adults” Felicity smiled  
“I’m sorry for the way things have worked out” Oliver spoke – his words meant for both of them  
“You don’t need to be sorry, life happens” Felicity shrugged, tightly holding back the tears that were forming behind her eyes

It felt like an eternity they stood there, silent and wrapped up in the words neither could say.  
“Have a good night Oliver” Felicity smiled through a heavy breath before she turned around and walked down the narrow hallway

Oliver watched her silent until she disappeared around a corner.

**_Even the half smile would have slowed down the time_ **  
**_If I could call you half mine_ **  
**_Maybe this is the safest way to go_ **

Oliver didn’t notice the door beside him open a second time until he felt the hand of someone on his shoulder.

He turned his head to catch the eye of the EP standing next to him. He swallowed down the gravity of the moment and showcased his best smile.

“It’s a real shame about Felicity, she already has a huge following. People love the character Emma, we really thought this would work out great” he rambled, shaking his head back and forth

Oliver listened, his brow furrowed with confusion, but his lips stayed sealed.  
“You know people were shipping Emma and Aiden pretty hard, they even had a name Aidem I think, maybe Emden, anyway, she was tracking phenomenally, maybe you could talk to her. I’m not sure what happened between you, but you guys work exceptionally well on screen”

“Wait, I’m not following you” Oliver finally spoke up  
“Felicity handed in her resignation, I thought she would have said something”

Oliver’s eyes tracked down the hall where he had last been, almost praying that maybe she would still be there – but the hall was empty.

**_So if I stand in front of a speeding car_ **  
**_Would you give your little heart?_ **  
**_Say the word?_ **  
**_Due to just me and you_ **  
**_This way everyone will know_ **

**_Advertise my secret_ **  
**_I don’t really need it_ **  
**_I know you can feel this_ **  
**_So advertise my secret_ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS I'm aware there are tests that can be done, and are frequently done in the US, to determine paternity before birth. However I'm also aware of the risks two of these invasive tests can have and that in Canada they are not recommended (and in some places not okayed) for "who's the daddy" situations.
> 
> I'm aware of the blood test one, but I'm not finished telling the story yet, so I will deal with more in future chapters.
> 
> Xo


	9. Paper Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title song:  
> Paper Hearts by Silver Trees feat. Bailey Jehl

_**Here's the story, here we are** _  
_**Falling forward into parts** _  
_**Playing something into nothing till we know it‘s not ours** _  
_**All we have is something simple** _  
_**All we know is what's been gone** _  
_**Going into some dramatic, static pause** _

**_Whoever can leave here first, wherever I see you hurts, whatever I need to do_ **  
**_We try to tell a story, we write each other into our lives_ **  
**_But after all it's all just as thin as paper hearts_ **

  
“You quit?” Oliver huffed, banging on the window of the taxi as it was beginning to pull away, Felicity inside

“Can you wait, I’ll just be a minute?” she asked the driver  
“Meter’s running” the driver replied with an unapologetic smile as Felicity stepped from the car, leaning against the door as she closed it

“It’s not immediate, but yes” she said simply, her arms folding awkwardly across her chest  
“Why would you do that?” Oliver asked, huffing as he tried to catch his breath after sprinting across the expansive lot  
“Other opportunities” she lied with a shrug of her slender shoulders, the strap of her tank slipping down her shoulder  
“If I believed that I would be happy for you”  
“Why does it matter? This makes everything easier”  
“At this kind of cost? Felicity don’t quit” he said bluntly “I don’t want you to”  
“Don’t assume this was about you Oliver” she replied, her brows pulling tightly inward  
“It wasn’t about us?” he asked, his fingers fluttering against her shoulder as he gently eased the strap of her tank top back onto her shoulder

Felicity swallowed down the insatiable swelling coursing up her throat as she took a soft, short breath.  
“Us was never really a thing” she spoke quietly, hoping she could believe her own words  
“Then don’t leave. We can be adults” Oliver quipped with the flash of a kindly smile

 _Can we?_  
She wouldn’t, couldn’t admit that the idea of keeping her distance from him since they crossed that line in the hotel room, way back when, was something that would come easy.

She had handed in her notice _because_ she didn’t think such an ask was within her ability.

“Oliver, you think we can work together and leave it within the realms of this studio lot alone?” she asked genuinely  
“Yes” he answered simply

He could have filled a bucket with words to pretext that yes and added a long slur of context, but the absolute naked truth was that he simply didn’t know.

He didn’t know if he could touch her with the cameras rolling only to stifle the same when they stopped. He didn’t know if they could build back the friendship they had once had without him imaging just how perfectly her body fitted into his.

Oliver didn’t know if he could look at her and stay his hands from doing anything else. But, what he did know was that life was complicated with Chantelle _and_ there was a distinct possibility that he was going to be a father, those factors alone had to be enough for him to at least try and believe they could.

His own uncertainty of the levels of restraint he would need to show didn’t – couldn’t – trump Felicity’s career, and quitting a show in this manner most certainly would damage it.

So he answered yes, not particularly because that was the truth but because that _should_ have been the truth.  
“It’s done now anyway” she sighed, shaking her long ponytail across her shoulders  
“They will absolutely tear that letter up if you ask. They need you”

She managed a thankful smile, Oliver aside this job had been one she had worked her ass off for, this was her foot in the door, a door she saw closing with her on the wrong side of it if she left.

Perhaps they could.  
Coexist as coworkers. Friends. Nothing more.  
It may have been naïve, but right now naïve hopes were all Felicity had.

“I guess” she started hesitantly, she needed this job – she _wanted_ this job.  
“Felicity, we’ll be fine, it’ll be fine”

She watched his face, he seemed to genuinely believe it – or he was hiding his own reservations particularly well, it would be months later that Felicity would know which of those statements were the truth.

In that moment, she chose to believe that he genuinely thought they could be. That despite the intense and very sexual relationship they had indulged in, they could pull back and be just friends, just coworkers – because that was what they needed to be.

“Alright” she blinked down, bobbing her head softly.  
_If Oliver believed it._

Oliver sighed his approval with a heavy blink and a soft nod. They could make this work.

***-*-*-***

“I understand you have your reservations, but you must understand that I have mine” Oliver snapped, what started as a simple request for Chantelle to consider a DNA test had once again turned into a heated argument.

“So you don’t think this is your child. Hear that baby, daddy doesn’t want you” Chantelle snipped, her hand running paths down her bump  
Oliver squirmed on the spot, he knew what she was doing, but she had all the cards.

“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it” he growled, trying to stifle the temperament of his voice  
“I told you they’re not sticking a needle in my stomach, that could kill the baby”  
“That’s not what I’m asking, there is another way, a simple blood test, you have those already, what’s one more?”

Chantelle pursed her lips.  
“I just need to know” Oliver sighed, his voice almost pleading now  
“And then what? What will you do about it if this baby is definitely yours, are you all in?”

Oliver felt the air fall from his lungs, his emotions twisting over the depth of that expression all in. Could he be _all in_? He had told Felicity they could be _just_ coworkers – something he was never sure would be true, but whatever he said now cemented both his relationship with his child and with Felicity – whatever he said now, it _had_ to be the truth.

“I’m all in” he replied, his eyes falling heavy  
He wouldn’t leave his child alone with a woman who would simply use her or him as a pawn. His hands may not have been literally tied, but emotionally they were. He had loved her once, of that he was sure, perhaps this was simply a bump in the road, a bump to be paved over by a child – their child, _his_ child.

That _had_ to be the truth.  
“Fine” Chantelle huffed, taking the brochures from Oliver’s hands “I’ll do it”

 ***-*-*-***  
**[Two Weeks Later]**

Felicity sat in the chair, her feet propped up on the desk in front of her as the stylist tirelessly ran a hot iron curled through Felicity’s hair, styling it for a particularly glamourous few scenes. Oliver had been right, she had reconsidered her notice and the powers that be had happily agreed to accept the same – with some minor conditions.

She had been offered a fixed term contract, in other words they didn’t want her to have another change of heart, for 12 months. At the end of that time they would consider their options and either sign her on as a regular, add another fixed term or part ways.

It was a good contract and guaranteed work for at least 12 months should have had her swinging from the ceiling fan in joy, but instead it knotted her stomach and made her throat a little dry.

Felicity and Oliver were walking the pathway of a pretty strange relationship, neither knowing quite where the line stood. Aiden and Emma had not resumed any sort of intimacy on script so they had not been forced to face that either – yet.

She had decided to think of this time as a cooling off period, where they could withdraw and dampen down whatever the feelings they still had lingering. It had been awkward but necessary.

 _We can be adults._  
_Co-workers._  
The next scenes would absolutely test that theory.

“All done” the stylist smiled, spraying almost an entire can of hairspray over the soft tumble of expertly tailored curls Felicity was now sporting.

Felicity took a deep inhale.  
She could absolutely be an adult.  
She could absolutely kiss Oliver Queen without falling into bed with him.  
Because they were co-workers.  
_Just friends._

 ***-*-*-***  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“You’ve been avoiding me again” Aiden whispered in Emma’s ear as he leant dangerously close to her in the crowd of counterparts dressed to the nines  
“I don’t give you much thought Mr Richards” Emma replied, keeping her eyes trained on the older gentleman giving the speech on the podium ahead of them

“Really Emma, are you back to the Mr? Even after the parts of you I’ve touched?” he breathed softly against her neck, his finger gently tracing a path up her arm  
She took a step away from him, smiling sweetly to the man on her left that had noticed her taking a step towards him.

“You’re mad?” he asked, unbothered by the closer proximately she had created to listening ears  
“Your father is about to receive an award, your eyes should be up there” she nodded upwards towards the stage, smoothing a palm down her tight blue dress that was perfectly befitting the cocktail event.

“I’ve seen him collect a bookcase full of these things, you however I’ve never quite seen someone like you” Aiden charmed, the sweet scent of his musk dancing heavily over Emma’s senses

Emma rolled her head towards Aiden, the mocking disbelief clearly written in her expression.

Aiden sighed, gently capturing her hand in his.  
“Just talk to me, please”  
Emma looked around, most eyes were set ahead with no one noticing the way her hand fitted perfectly into his.

“Fine” she spoke, nodding her eyes to a door at the back of the opulent function room  
She dropped her eyes, afraid that someone around them would notice as they walked from the crowd and slipped out the door.

The door led to a deserted and dimly lit hallway, clearly to be used by staff rather than the likes of them.  
“What do you want Aiden?” she huffed, tired of this sexual game she had somehow found herself entangled in  
“You” he replied without a hint of pandering in his tone  
“No you don’t. You want the idea of me, you want the challenge you think I present. We’ve been through this. I” she sighed “I want more”  
“What do you want?”  
“Something you can’t give me” she shrugged  
“You’re wrong” he replied with a tip of his chin

“Am I Aiden? You wear a mask, you create circumstances where you don’t have to actually be with someone you might come to care about and I want more than to stay on this carousel of ‘does he want me or does he not’ I want someone who isn’t afraid to be with me and that’s not you” Emma spoke, her perfectly arched brows pulling tight across her face, cementing the certainty with which she spoke.

“But maybe it could be, maybe I could be that person” Aiden replied, a sense of vulnerability etched in his tone, which was something he had never felt before  
“Don’t” she sighed, closing her eyes softly “don’t do that, don’t offer me maybes, fait accompli Aiden”

She went to turn, her chest dropping with a soft sigh before his hands moved her face, gently pulling her closer.

His lips landed softly on hers, his fingers gently threaded through the nape of her neck. It was soft, much softer of a kiss than he had ever given, it wasn’t a kiss meant to come before something more – to spark a libido – it was a genuine kiss that made his lips tremble against hers as his thumbs stroked light paths up her cheekbones.

It was a kiss that melted her lips onto his, warm and comforting. His breath was steady but his lips were uncertain, trembling to the point that she could feel them. It was honest, more honest than a single word that had fallen from his mouth in all the time she’d known him.

But he was still Aiden Richards. He was still something she wasn’t prepared for.

Her hands eased up over his wrists, gently pulling his palms away from her face.  
“I’m sorry, whatever we had, it’s over now” she spoke, her words calm and quiet as she stepped back from him

She offered him a weak smile before she turned on her silver heels and tapped a hurried path down the hallway, leaving Aiden to fold his own hands back down to his side.

“But” he whispered, watching her walking away “I could be that person”

***-*-*-***

“What are we watching?” Oliver smiled as Felicity opened her trailer door  
“Big Brother” Felicity shrugged “it makes me feel normal”

She stepped to the side, letting him walk into her small trailer. He popped the Mexican takeout on the table beside the couch and turned back to face her as she pushed the door closed.

“Did they say how long they need us to stick around tonight?” she asked, kicking her slippers across the floor and pulling an oversized cardigan tight over the blue dress she was still wearing  
“I’m not sure, they weren’t happy with a few of the shots inside, so probably a few more hours. I brought food” Oliver replied, nodding towards the bag crammed full of burritos

“I hope this is okay, I was getting a little bored” he asked, as she walked around and slumped into the couch  
“Absolutely, you brought food, you’re always welcome when you bring me food” she smiled, patting the spot on the couch beside her

If Felicity was being honest, she had missed this relaxed banter they had developed before – _before_ (before the sex, before the pregnancy, before – just _before_ ). She had considered him a friend and she missed him – even as _just_ a friend.

“You know this show is ridiculous” Oliver smiled settling into the couch beside Felicity before handing her a wrapped burrito  
“Oh I absolutely know it’s rubbish” she replied with a grin as she peeled back the foil “but see that’s what makes it so good. You watch nonsense like this and suddenly your life seems so” she paused to take a bite “normal” she finished, covering her mouth with a lazy hand

“So who are we rooting for to win?” Oliver laughed, peeling back the foil on his own food  
He had missed this too, Felicity was effortlessly easy to talk to. She was funny and sweet and she saw the world through eyes that had always made him smile.

“Well, I think probably Gerald will win, but I don’t trust him. I hope Hayley destroys him” Felicity replied, pointing her burrito at the figures that popped across the TV screen  
“Why don’t we trust Gerald?”  
“Shifty eyes”  
“You’re basing this on his eyes”  
“Mmmhmm, you can tell a lot by a person’s eyes. His are shifty”  
“I see” Oliver smirked, tucking one leg casually under the other  
“It’s true” Felicity continued, scooting a little in the couch to face him  
“Oh I absolutely agree”  
“Good because I don’t want us fighting” she joked “are we fighting?”  
“Not yet” Oliver laughed  
Felicity joined in the laugh, smiling at the refreshing ease with which they could do this.

“What about my eyes?” he asked, twisting his head to face her  
“Well they’re very blue” she winked with a soft laugh  
“I mean, what can you tell about me?”  
She screwed up her pouted lips, tapping her index finger against them the pink stain of them.

“That you always try to do the right thing” she answered without a hint of a lie because that was absolutely what she could see  
The laughter stopped between them, a calmed air falling between them in its place.

He went to open his mouth, to speak something, when his phone chirped in his pocket. He smiled as his fished it out and looked down at the display – Chantelle.

“I need to take this” he said simply  
Felicity nodded, gesturing her open palm in a ‘go ahead’ fashion.

Oliver stood and moved to a quiet corner of the trailer before putting the phone to his ear. Felicity tried not to listen, but she couldn’t really help but to hear quite clearly his side of the discussion.

“You did, and?”  
“Okay”  
“Yes, that’s great”  
“Of course I’m happy”  
“No, I meant what I said”  
“Thank you” a long pause “I love you too”

Felicity sunk lower into the couch to disguise her eavesdropping as he hung up the phone and walked back towards the couch.

“Everything okay?” she asked, although wishing she hadn’t if she was being frank  
“Yea” Oliver nodded, taking his seat back on the couch

He picked up his burrito again and took a bite, his eyes staring straight ahead but not focused on anything in particular.

“The baby is mine, I’m going to be a father” he finally said, seconds after swallowing his mouthful  
Felicity’s head jerked back a little in surprise – she had always figured that Oliver wasn’t the father, that all she was somehow waiting for was proof of that fact coming to light. She had been wrong and it suddenly hit her like a heavy weight.

The baby was his.

“Congratulations” she smiled, realising she had left him without a response for an awkward amount of time  
“Thank you” he replied slowly, his eyes blinking up at her

She saw it then, just what she had said moments ago – he always did the right thing.  
“That’s really beautiful news for you Oliver” she smiled, holding back the overwhelming sense of doom such news had suddenly lumbered upon her.

Oliver nodded. I was beautiful news, at least it was supposed to be. He was going to be a dad. He was going to have a child.  
He was absolutely _all in_ now – that’s what he had promised after all, and Oliver Queen, TV star, had to do the right thing.

 _**Take the sense of false direction** _  
_**Take the words out of my head** _  
_**Always hurt under protection** _  
_**Always cut where I don't let in** _  
_**Oh my mind, just try on patience** _  
_**Oh my heart, just lead the way** _  
_**All my life has been a silent fight to be ok** _

***-*-*-***

It was well after midnight and the house was deathly silent as Oliver held the paper between his fingers. A part of him had thought perhaps she had been lying, trying to give him a false sense of truth, but he held the answer in his hands now. The child Chantelle was carrying was his – within the realm of a 95% certainty.

The service offered a second definitive swab DNA test once the baby was born, but so far they were hitting at a surprisingly accurate rate and it was well within the burden of proof – he was going to be a father.

The idea of being such brought a smile to his face, the birthdays he wanted to spoil them, the nights he wanted to spend reading them stories, the life he wanted to offer them – there was not a doubt in Oliver’s mind that to be a father was an exceptional privilege that he did want. The only darkened bit of the cloud was that he going to be having the child with someone he had fallen out of love with.

It was naïve of him to think that having a baby would fix that – patch the cracks that were so clearly evident – but he so desperately wanted to give that child what he thought they needed that Oliver would see this through.

He would be all in.

All in meant burying the feelings that still lingered for Felicity. She deserved to be happy, and he couldn’t give that to her.

Even though the words had been in script, there was still an undercurrent of truth in them that Oliver could not discount.  
_I want someone who isn’t afraid to be with me and that’s not you._  
Felicity deserved that and that couldn’t come from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I KNOW you're like WTF and that kid was not supposed to be his...but I'm writing a Lifetime movie here guys, I need to be somewhat accurate to my source material.....
> 
> .... Wait, source material, I mean um, completely fabricated story in my head *monkey covering mouth emoji (aka speak no evil monkey)*
> 
> As you were.


	10. Animals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title song:  
> "Animals" Maroon 5
> 
> Dedicated to Kat and her filthy mind.

_**Yeah you can start over you can run free** _  
_**You can find other fish in the sea** _  
_**You can pretend it's meant to be** _  
_**But you can't stay away from me** _  
_**I can still hear you making that sound** _  
_**Taking me down rolling on the ground** _  
_**You can pretend that it was me** _  
_**But no, oh** _

**[Late-November 2012]**

Three weeks and one day.  
Twenty-Two Days.  
Felicity knew each day because each day had seemed like a painfully long week in itself.  
But no, it had _only_ been twenty-two days since Oliver had laid down the “only friends” condition.

She had accepted it with a grace and a smile that said she was fine with the idea, but the twenty-two gruelling days of thoughts about Oliver had shown – at least to her – that she was most certainly _not_ fine with this arrangement.

All that she held onto to keep some semblance of sanity was that today was the final day of shooting. Day twenty-two would be the last of days she counted for a few weeks until they returned sometime at the end of January.

She could finish day twenty-two.  
She was _almost_ certain of it.

Felicity caught herself glimpsing across the make-up room towards Oliver who was just settling in for his routine beard trim. He must have felt the fluttering of her eyes across the room because at the same instant he looked up, catching her eyes and holding them for what seemed like twenty-two Mississippi’s before Felicity pulled her eyes away and attempted to bury her vision into the book held between her slightly shaking palms.

 _Twenty-two fucking days, you can do this_ she screamed internally.

The truth was that she had spent every opportunity granted to her to be around Oliver – it was like some ridiculous game she had been playing with herself – getting so close to him, laughing with him, feeling his lingering eyes when the laughter stopped – if only to see if she could pull herself away from all of that just….seconds…before….

It was torturous and it was borderline ridiculous.  
They didn’t speak of Chantelle and she only ever heard hushed conversations that sounded nothing like a loving relationship.

But that was not her business – or so she told herself, in a futile attempt to rid these insistent feelings that Felicity Smoak was having about Oliver Queen. These terribly scandalous and almost pornographic (if she was honest) feelings she was nursing about him.

So, she let him invite himself into her trailer. She let him sit next to her. She let him laugh with her over something stupid. She let his eyes linger on her. She let him – she let him because she _wanted_ him to. Regardless of how increasingly demoralizing it was becoming.

Felicity hated this, all twenty-two days of it.  
But today was it for filming, tomorrow was the Christmas party and then she was ditching the Canadian winter for something much more exotic – Bali. Bali wouldn’t have her counting days, Bali would let her just exhale.

“Good book?” his voice was like velveteen in her ear  
_Twenty-two days_  
“Exceptional” she remarked, trying to keep her eyes focused down, but instantly losing the fight the moment his hand touched her arm and he leaned over to look at the page she had been wandering her eyes across without taking a single word in.

Felicity felt her breath hitch, held tightly in the back of her throat as she tried to swallow down the sudden urge she had to peck his freshly groomed jaw.  
“Survivor tonight?” he asked, his lips closer to her than she cared to acknowledge but still an ocean away to where she wanted them

“Your trailer or mine?” she answered with a smile.  
She should have refused, she should have come up with an excuse – any excuse. Just being Oliver’s friend was painful and not at all what she wanted – but she said yes. She said yes because she wanted to be close to him, she wanted to him to look at her – she wanted to imagine that it was hard for him too.

Twenty-two days of pretending she wasn’t in love with him.

**[The Naked Truth]**

Emma tapped idly on the keyboard, tapping out submissions on a raft of case law that she was almost certain would make no sense. Aiden had been right, she hated Commercial law, but she was also right, the change was good for her.

Her phone buzzed on the plain white desk, jolting the array of pens she had discarded beside it. She pulled up the message and stared at it for what seemed like a drawn out lifetime.  
**Aiden: I couldn’t find you after the hallway**

“Don’t reply” she mumbled to herself, as she chewed on the corner of her nail. Unfortunately she wasn’t in the mood for listening to sound advice.  
**Emma: I went home**

 **Aiden: You shouldn’t have**  
**Emma: I wasn’t really in the mood for sticking around**  
**Aiden: I’m sorry.**

Emma’s brows pulled tightly across her face – he was sorry?  
_For what?_  
For the kiss? For her leaving?  
What exactly was Aiden apologising to her for?

 **Emma: For what?**  
**Aiden: I think you know**

She bit her lip as she tapped her phone against her chest.  
Emma almost jumped when the phone buzzed against her collarbone, just seconds after the last text she’d received.

 **Aiden: You look pretty today**  
She looked up, scouting the surrounding area with her eyes, unless he was hiding in the air vents above her head – which she actually did take a moment to glance up at – she couldn’t see him anywhere.

 **Emma: How would you know?**  
**Aiden: I think you know that too.**

She sighed audibly, to the point the junior solicitor in the desk next to her glared up from his _Trademarks and Intellectual Property l_ aw book.  
She offered him a timid smile as an apology and put her phone to the side. Aiden was playing games with her and frankly, she was done being a part of it.

 **Aiden: What do you want?**  
Emma looked down, there was something different she read in her words, something less defiant, less self-assured, but as she shook her head slightly she decided that she was probably just reading too much into four simple words.

 **Emma: Something you can’t offer me**  
**Aiden: Try me**  
**Emma: A date, with a person not afraid to date**

She silently cursed under her breath, she shouldn’t have sent that.  
“Shouldn’t have been so stupid, so stupid” she mumbled, her hands pressed against her forehead as her elbows sunk onto the desk.

“Emma Casey?” an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her, offering a quick clearing of his throat while her head sprung up  
A young face – not much older than her own she guessed – was staring back at her with clear eyes and a softly understated smile on a perfectly clean-shaven face.

“Yes?” she replied, more timidly than she had expected to  
“My name is Kent Tyler, I’m an associate in the New York branch”  
Emma nodded slowly, although she wasn’t really following.  
“I was told to come steal you away” he smiled  
“For who?!” Emma quipped, sitting her back stiff against her chair

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I’ve come to have you” he stopped and folded his lips over each other “no that came out even worse”

 **Aiden: Who is he?**  
Emma glanced down at the message, her phone still gripped in her hand.  
“What the fuck?” she muttered, then realised there was still someone standing there, looking down at her  
“I’m sorry” she shook her head softly “you were saying, something about hav...” she trailed off, unsure whether to repeat his vaguely sexual last words

“Start again” he sighed, extending his hand  
“My name is Kent Tyler, I’m an associate from the New York branch and I need to borrow your brain on a case, and apparently I need to have mine looked at for saying stupid things”

Emma smiled and took his hand, it was refreshingly _simple_.

  
Aiden pressed his back further into the wall of the vacant law library, his eyes searching through the crack in the blinds.  
He felt decidedly like a stalker at that very moment, although he hadn’t intended it to be that way.

His eyes looked around the room and landed on the small, but stunning, bouquet of flowers. He had been planning on asking Emma to get a book from the library. He had been planning on offering her the flowers and asking her out on an actual date.

 _A date, date._  
But now he was standing in a room, alone, staring at her interact with a man that seemed to make her smile and as Aiden rubbed a slightly sweaty palm down the outside seam of his grey wool suit, he desperately felt the boiling up of something new – Aiden was fairly certain he was jealous.

  
***-*-*-***

“Perfect guys” the director clapped her hands gently together  
“Oliver, you can take five, we won’t need you for the next few scenes” she continued, shooting a brief nod in Oliver’s direction.

Oliver nodded in reply as he walked from the set, skulking past a few of the crew before his eyes tracked backwards, landing on Felicity and the _new guy_  
“Wow I need to visit you more big brother, who is he?” Thea asked, folding her slender hands across her chest as she gently elbowed Oliver, snatching his attention

Oliver grunted his acknowledgment of her presence but didn’t say as word as he walked away from the scene direction being talked through with Felicity and Derek.

“Wait, that’s Derek Taylor right? I loved him in that werewolf show” Thea rambled as she followed Oliver, turning her head briefly back towards the others as she walked  
“Is he for Emma? Damn, they make a good looking couple” Thea was still talking despite the clear irritation flashing across Oliver’s face

Oliver cleared his throat as he cracked open a bottle of water and took a chug.  
“It’s just filler, it won’t last” he muttered, wiping his lips with the back of his hand

Thea turned to lock eyes with him, a full smirk pulling across her face.  
“Oliver, are you jealous?” she asked, with a quick roll of her shoulder towards him  
“No, I’m just thinking of the characters, people ship Aiden and Emma” Oliver replied, doing his best to hide the smile that came with that thought

Thea hummed, pressing her body weight from one foot to the other.  
“Emden, I’m aware. Big fan”  
“So, that’s all I’m thinking about?”  
“You sure there isn’t a little thinking about Olicity in there, that’s what their calling you two you know, I think it kind of rolls off the tongue”  
“Stop” Oliver snapped, cranking the bottle top back onto the water bottle “You know that isn’t a thing”  
“Isn’t it?”  
“Thea”  
She waved her hand to stop the rest of the lecture that was no doubt coming her way.  
“All I’m saying big brother is that _you_ chose that. You made your Chantelle-shaped bed, but you can just as easily get the hell out of it”

Thea turned on her heels and padded away, waving at another friend across the lot, refusing to give Oliver any right of reply to the truth she had just spilled.

Oliver was thankful for that if he was being honest – because he had absolutely nothing with which to refute what she said.  
He _had_ made a choice. A choice he had spent the last twenty-two days lamenting.

***-*-*-***

“So I hear they’re letting us out of here early” Derek spoke, tapping Felicity on the shoulder  
She turned to face him, nodding to acknowledge his words as she walked through the outside lot, dusk settling in  
“Did you have plans tonight?” he asked

Felicity smiled, taking in the uncomplicatedness of the conversation between them. The two of them had spent some time reading through scripts and filming chemistry scenes to try and see if they could gel on screen. It had been fine, they were comfortable around each other, but there was nothing more to it. He was nice, uncomplicated, easy to talk to – but he wasn’t Oliver.

She caught herself before she let her mind wander any farther. She needed to think about something other than Oliver, especially given the rash decision she had made to sit and watch TV with him tonight.

She didn’t want to have plans. Her plans were complication. Her plans were painful.

“A few of us are going around the corner for a few drinks” he continued, waiting for her to say something  
She really didn’t want to have another night of trying to pretend to only be Oliver’s friend. It was too hard, she was too tired.  
“I’d like to go” she replied, although instantly feeling the guilt of the response “I just need to…” she had nothing to offer as she glanced over to Oliver’s trailer  
“It’s fine, I’ll just wait here”

Felicity nodded, thankful he didn’t ask too many questions with his mouth or his eyes. As much as she wanted to sit in Oliver’s trailer, dangerously close but with a Grand Canyon size distance between them, she just couldn’t. Day twenty-two was her limit.

She knocked on the trailer door and stepped back, slightly praying maybe he had forgotten and gone home. However the door opened and Oliver gestured her inside.  
“Actually, we don’t need to stay on the lot tonight, hooray” she shrugged with only a trickle of enthusiasm  
“Yeah, I know, that’s good” Oliver replied, somewhat awkwardly crossing his arms across his chest.  
“So some people are going down the road for some drinks” she started, wringing her hands over each other  
Oliver’s tongue scooted out across his lips as he began to understand what she was saying.  
“You should go” he replied  
“You could come”  
She glanced backwards towards the group starting to form around Derek  
“No” Oliver sighed, settling in against the door “you should go”  
_Stay with me_ his head screamed defiantly

“I know we made plans” Felicity started  
“Not really, we don’t need to be on the lot anymore, so go” he forced a smile  
“Are you sure?”  
Felicity didn’t know what she was fishing for, maybe she wanted him to just admit the same feelings she was having, that they were failing at being friends and that he wanted her.  
_Stupid, foolish fishing expedition_

“Absolutely, go. I need to head home anyway”  
Home the word stung her, although she was sure he hadn’t meant it to  
“Okay. See you tomorrow?”  
Oliver nodded.  
“Tomorrow”

  
**[The Next Evening]**

  
Felicity stepped into the room, her eyes roving across the dancefloor, casually nodding to those who acknowledged her before her eyes landed on Oliver, standing by the bar, staring straight at her – alone.

It was her first instinct to walk towards him, to engage him in whatever topic she could just to hear his voice. But she needed to put distance between them, this needed to be easier and her first instinct when it came to Oliver only made things harder.

A hand touched her elbow, stiffening her back and sending her thoughts of Oliver scrambling to the back of her mind in case someone could read them from her eyes.

She turned just enough as Derek moved around the side of her.  
“You made it” he smiled, flashing a bright row of perfect teeth  
“But of course you did, you’ve been on the show much longer than I have” he quipped, realising the foolishness of his earlier words  
“Smooth” she laughed, enjoying the ease once more

She could tell by his wide smile and the glint caught up in his eye, that Derek was attempting to flirt with her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what she needed. He was good looking, smart, closer to her age, they had spent a good chunk of last night discussing things that showed conversation just rolled between them. They had mutual friends, a love of dogs and Felicity wanted that _uncomplicated_ that oozed off him.

He was single.  
Oliver was not.  
He was interested.  
Oliver was…. _not_?

She let her eyes roam back to where she had seen him as her hands toyed with the small cap sleeve on her white lace dress. Oliver was still standing there, one elbow pressed against the bar, the other bringing his glass up to his mouth – but his eyes….

His eyes were _locked_ on her.  
Intense.  
Staring like he didn’t care if anyone noticed him. Staring like she was the only thing in the room worth his eyes. Someone walked in front of him but he didn’t blink.

Felicity swallowed down his stare.  
Fearing the intensity of it would see her burn up from the inside.

***-*-*-***

The drink _tasted_ like her.  
The air _smelled_ like her.  
The music _sounded_ like her.

Everything around him was like her.  
He had gone home to another argument.  
To another night spent in his bed alone, trying to find her scent on his pillowcases.

He and Chantelle were nothing.  
He knew that no amount of trying was going to change that but while she was pregnant with his baby he felt stuck. Cemented in a decision that he hated.

His thoughts of Felicity had grown darker when he watched her walk away with the younger, taller, single version of himself the other night. And they grew darker still when he watched her from across the room. Her perfect body wrapped in a slip of a dress, brocaded in white lace, sheathed in nude to give a tantalising illusion of her naked skin.

Only Oliver knew the tone was wrong, she was more milky white under that dress, her breasts a shade lighter still and her nipples the sweetest rose colour. Oliver knew all Felicity’s colours and he missed each one more desperately than the last.

He breathed in sharply, his eyes staying firmly focused on her when she looked back towards him. He swore he could smell her, the scent of her plunging deep into his groin, making his insides clench.

He needed her.  
Like an uncontrollable urge, he needed to rip Derek’s hand from her arm and devour her lips with his own. His hands ached to rip clothes from her body. His cock groaned to be inside her.

The last semblance of control he had snapped when Derek leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

Oliver slammed down his glass on the black bar, splashing the contents of his half-finished drink onto the mirrored surface.

Felicity was his.  
_Fuck everything else._

***-*-*-***

“Would you like a drink?” Derek asked, leaning in to make his words more clear above the music  
“Um, sure” she shrugged, her eyes glancing away from Oliver, her skin prickling under the cool touch of Derek’s fingers.

They felt nothing like the heat of Oliver’s because of the simple fact that they weren’t.  
Derek was a multitude of things, good things – things that might be worth exploring.  
But he _wasn’t_ Oliver – the only thing she wanted.

She could feel the emotion welling up inside her and in a split-second bout of rashness she decided she needed to leave, day _twenty-three_ would be the death of her.

Felicity turned, walking towards the door she had stepped through only moments before. The attendant at the cloakroom had vanished, the window slider pulled all the way down and a “back in 20 minutes” sign on the outside of it. She reached for the handle regardless, assuming the door would probably be unlocked.

“Are you with him?” a gruff voice that smelt like whiskey spoke into her ear  
She turned, Oliver’s face mere inches from her own.  
“What are you doing?” she replied, the question open to a million different interpretations  
He grabbed her wrist, his fingers threading through the small silver bracelet that hung delicately there.

Oliver twisted the handle of the cloakroom they were stood outside and, as Felicity expected, the door flung open. Without a single exchange of words he pulled her inside and kicked the door closed with a thud behind them.

“You seem close” he spoke, the whiskey tempering his tone to one dragged through gravel  
“We’re friends” Felicity replied, defiantly yanking her wrist back  
“You just met him”  
Felicity shook her head softly, becoming increasingly annoyed with Oliver’s inability to see the world past his own life  
“We did the chemistry test weeks ago, we’ve kept in touch” Felicity didn’t know why she was explaining or rationalising herself to him, but still she did  
“Have you slept with him?”

His hand reached for her face, unable to hold himself back from needing to feel her soft skin under his palm – Oliver simply let it.

 _There it was._  
She saw the flicker in his eye, that was the question that had been hanging from the edge of his tongue since he had pulled her into this cloakroom

“That’s none of your business” Felicity hissed, pushing his hand away from her face  
Oliver clenched his jaw, a sudden rush of jealously sweeping over him, imaging that someone else had once had the pleasure of touching her silken skin.

“Have you kissed him?”  
“Again, that is none of your business”  
She felt his hands grip against her waist, not tightly or in a way that hurt her, but in a way that almost seemed if he let go he would fall to the ground. She could see the desperation in his eyes.

Felicity didn’t want to answer his questions, he had no right to ask them, but as the single word dripped from her mouth, she couldn’t stop it.  
“No”

Felicity saw his jaw relax and his eyes soften, but his grip on her stayed tight as his thumb lightly waved across the lace dress.

He leaned in, pressing his body against hers, breathing her in deeply, his lips just a slither away from grazing against her blushed cheeks.

“Don’t” she pleaded, pressing herself deeper into the wall.  
Twenty-three days and she couldn’t go back and start from day one again.

“I want to go back to the party” she whispered, closing her eyes to the sensation of his warm breath against her neck  
“Will you sleep with him?”

Felicity slid away from the wall, putting distance between her and Oliver before he caught her arm.  
“Will you?”  
She shook him off.  
“You don’t get to ask me questions like that Oliver”  
“I need to know”  
“Why? You made your choice” she snapped, everything from twenty-three days starting to bubble to the surface “You don’t want me, but you also don’t _want_ me to be with anyone else. Do you know how unfair that is?”

“I’m sorry”  
“Just don’t Oliver, don’t stand there and apologise like this was something out of your control” she could feel her angry, but she was beyond trying to stop it

“You decided to make a choice, you chose Chantelle, so stop trying to pull me back in, stop trying to keep me in the background just hoping you might change your mind”  
“I don’t mean any of this to hurt you”

His choice to play martyr was doing nothing to stem the raging inferno she was trying to still. She wanted to hate him because right now, in this moment, that would be easier than loving him.

“You told Chantelle you love her, but you didn’t mean to hurt me?” she spat  
It was unfair on her part and it wasn’t a victory she wanted to claim when she saw the pain in his eyes.  
“I’m just trying to hold onto my child” Oliver banged his fist into the wall, his face showing varying shades of angst

“So go home, hold onto your life, your lies, but leave me the fuck out of this Oliver” Felicity pleaded, she couldn’t love him another day – she just _couldn’t_  
“I don’t know how to do that”  
He blinked down, the honesty in her eyes was becoming too much.  
“But I’m trying” he finished, his jaw clenched, his fists balled

“Stop it Oliver. You don’t think I notice how you look at me? You don’t think I feel the lingered touches you give me when the script doesn’t call for it. I keep trying to put this distance between us and you keep pulling me back. Don’t tell me you’re trying, because you know that’s bullshit”

She turned, a hand scourging through her hair as she headed towards the door. Before reaching it though she turned, her eyes locking on his.  
“What is it you want Oliver, what the fuck do you want from me? Stop playing these games and tell me what it is you want, because I can’t keep doing this”

Oliver’s face twisted with the words he wanted to say – but he _shouldn’t_ \- but he _did_.  
“I want you, I want to fucking claim every part of your body. I don’t want to see another man touch you. I want you as mine. I want to take you like Aiden would. I want to bury myself inside you, make you feel me for days. I want to stain your lips with my lips and burn my touch onto your skin”

The pant caught in his voice echoing the same wanton desire that had seen them holed up in a hotel room all those months ago, fucking like animals.

“I want to be the only one to make you sweat. I want to be the one that makes you scream so hard I have to cover your mouth with my hand. I want to have you so hard that you can’t see straight. I want to be deep inside you when you come and I want to do all of that now and here” he rasped

Felicity felt her breath get heavy and her legs get weak. She knew with every bit of reason that this was a bad idea, that this would lead to a million more bad ideas, but when his hand touched her again – burning through her like molten lava, any reason she had flew out the window.

She _wanted_ him to do all of that – not because she thought there was a chance for them, but because she knew there probably wasn’t…

“So do it” she challenged, opening her arms to him, her body poised, waiting – _ready_ “fucking do it”

He walked her swiftly towards the wall, pinning her body against it so roughly it stole the breath from her chest and she moaned in response, the sudden urgency filling her body. They both knew what they wanted and it wasn’t the slow tempered kiss of two people making love.

She pawed at his neck, her trimmed nails gripping into his skin as he plunged his lips onto her, ravishing her breath and breaching the seam of them without delay. His tongue swooped hungrily around her mouth, devouring the clambered breaths and groans that his hands coaxed as they shot up under her short dress.

Oliver pulled back, his breath so heavy it created a layer of misted heat against her skin. His hand gripped her wrists, easily taking them both in his large hands.

He pinned them above her head, making her body twist against the containment, but her eyes begging for more of the same.

His fingers traced the waistband of her panties before yanking them roughly down her legs. She gasped and his mouth caught it, nipping at her plump bottom lip. He wanted to ask her again if this is what she wanted, but truthfully he was terrified she would say no.

“Take what you want Oliver” she growled against his lips, rolling her pelvis against his stopped body, as she seemed to read his mind

He needed to sink inside her. He needed to be encased with her clenching and shaking walls. He needed to fuck her so desperately his cock was throbbing to be released. His fingers swept between her lips, feeling the readiness of her slick heat coating his fingers.

Oliver didn’t even waste precious time easing down his fly, instead he yanked his pants and briefs down roughly, his cock springing forth and his pants bunching down below his knees

He wrapped his hand around her ass, his forearm pressing deep into her cheek as he plunged a finger deep inside her without warning.  
“Fuck” she cursed, snapping her teeth closed against his top lip, snatching it inside her mouth

He lifted her up the wall, his finger still buried deep inside her. Her legs scrambled around his waist, her hands still pinned above her head.

His body drew her away from the wall a little before he pushed her back against it, pulling his fingers free and instantly replacing the same with his stiff, throbbing cock. He didn’t wait for her to ease herself into it. He didn’t let her body adjust around him, instead he pushed himself deep inside her, making her head grind against the wall behind her and her eyes blow wide.

“You feel so fucking good” he groaned nipping at her neck, laving his tongue against the soft veil of sweat forming there  
“Is this what you wanted?” she panted, clenching her legs around his waist, tightening her inner grip around his cock.

He didn’t answer with words but the hungering glint caught in his eyes gave her the only answer she needed.

 _**Yeah you can start over you can run free** _  
_**You can find other fish in the sea** _  
_**You can pretend it's meant to be** _  
_**But you can't stay away from me** _  
_**I can still hear you making that sound** _  
_**Taking me down rolling on the ground** _  
_**You can pretend that it was me** _  
_**But no, oh** _

She already knew she would be full of regret tomorrow, but for now, she didn’t care. She wanted him to take it from her, she wanted to take the same from him. Let him claim her – she knew she was already his anyway.

Oliver drew back, letting her tight walls roll over his head illicitly slow before he slammed back inside her, snapping up the inevitable gasp that sprung from her mouth.

Hot.  
Heavy.  
In.  
Out.  
Thrusting  
Her body grinding against him.  
Her knees digging into the side of his body.

Lips crashing together in hot heavy breaths.  
Criers of pleasure tainted with pain.  
Both knowing they should stop, but neither wishing to.

“Let me feel you come” he urged, making her body take him to the hilt, her neck arched backwards, her hands balled into fists above his head.  
He jerked inside her, riding her body further up the wall.

Relentlessly he took her. In. Out. Hard. Fast.  
He could see the look in her eyes, she would regret this tomorrow just as he would.  
“Fucking take it Oliver, you can have it” she groaned heatedly as he filled her completely, stretching her in ways she knew she would feel for days after

But she wanted it. Every bit of it. She wanted to feel it – to feel alive.  
She let herself go, spilling her release down his shaft like an eruption of hot silk. She saw the same look of regret in Oliver’s eyes that she knew was trapped in her own as her chest shook a little with the soft whimpering of her release.

She didn’t know what this was, where this was supposed to lead. He was her co-star, they were supposed to just be friends, but they were animals – taking without restraint.

Oliver dropped her hand and eased her down to the floor, pulling out of her almost instantly instead of savouring the way her come felt around his shaft. He pushed her dress further up her body as he watched her body twitch through her orgasm.

He dropped to his knees, his cock still glistening with her fresh release as his hands spread her legs apart.

She didn’t register what he was doing until she felt his lips around her clit, sucking in against the ragingly sensitive nub. She clasped her hands to her mouth to stifle the screams she wanted to let go when his tongue licked up her folds.

Oliver was drowning in her. Her released pooled against his tongue as he nipped at her. He meant what he said, his desire to feast on her was coursing through him. She tasted like everything right, like everything he wasn’t supposed to need.

 _**Maybe you think that you can hide** _  
_**I can smell your scent for miles** _  
_**Just like animals** _  
_**Animals** _  
_**Like animals-mals** _  
_**Baby I'm** _

He wanted her scent, her release, all over him, he wanted to bathe in it, for it to be stained against his skin.

His lips pulled away, snatching instead a small nip of skin at the rolling smooth crease of her thigh. She was still riding her release as he bit down on the soft skin there before sucking her in – branding her with a hickey he wanted only her to see.

His lips formed a seal around it, sucking, licking biting, branding that one spot while his hands worked between her folds, his thumbing running circles around her clit.

He pulled his mouth away from her, studying in the dim light the heavy red mark he had left on her milky skin.

Oliver pulled the panties further down her legs, compliantly she stepped out of them and he gently wiped up her inner thighs with them.

“Is that all you wanted from me?” she whispered, her voice trembling over the uncertainty of the answer she might get  
“Not yet. I want to fill you again, take you from behind and come inside you”

She felt her breath raging and her lips suddenly go dry at his brazen honesty.  
“So do it” she replied – because, wrong or right, she wanted that too.

 _**Baby I'm preying on you tonight** _  
_**Hunt you down eat you alive** _  
_**Just like animals** _

  
His lips fell onto hers, remnants of her release staining her lips as he guided her backwards through the small room until her back pressed against a cubby bookshelf that was used to store bags.

Oliver kissed her deeper, passing his lips slowly this time across the seam of her lips as his hands roamed across her naked waist, his thumb spilling over her navel as his fingers caressed into the dip of her hips.

Felicity’s lips trembled against Oliver’s, her body still running through aftershocks of her orgasm but still craving the feeling he had moments ago promised her.

As their lips pulled away their eyes locked before he turned her slowly, spreading her hand onto the smooth veneer of the bookshelf, her other palm sliding against the velvet embossed wallpaper that seemed like a hidden luxury in the small, dimly lit room.

Oliver combed his fingers slowly through Felicity’s tousled hair, playing with it before he gently tugged her head to the side to expose her long, beautiful neck.

His tongue trailed up her smooth skin, tasting the soft vanilla perfume that lingered there as his hands traipsed across her body, enjoy each smooth curve it took and moaning his delight of the same into her pulse point.

“I want to take more from you” he breathed, his cock hungering to be buried inside her as he moved it gently across the curve of her smooth ass  
“I’m here, offering it to you” she replied, twisting her head to blink her clear blue eyes up at him

He kissed her again as he stroked her shaft between her legs, coaxing them further apart. His hand smoothed down her bare arm and lay atop the back of her hand on the veneer bookshelf, their fingers entwining.

He entered her slowly this time, raising her body up onto the toes of her heels as he did. Still the pressure over her sensitive walls was encompassing, causing Felicity to drop her head, pushing her flushed cheek against the cool surface of the shelf.

She heard him whispering her name as he gently eased deeper into her, his fingers gripping hers tighter as his other hand slipped around her waist, holding firm against her core.

Oliver moved her body in time with his, pushing her onto him as he thrust deeper inside her and releasing his hold on her when he pulled away.

His breath was hot against the crook of her neck, his lips moist and dripping with her name as he kissed against her ear. Felicity closed her eyes, allowing the wave to wash over her as she rocked with him. Her own breath became heavy and hot, spilling a halo of condensation onto the shelf as she expelled it between pouted lips.

She felt his momentum building and his shaft stiffen and twitch deep inside her. She pushed her body back, her ass skating against his still fully-covered chest. She relished his groans that such action pulled from him, spurring her on to arch him in deeper. She could feel him brimming, his hands tightening their grip as they spoke only if stifled moans.

Oliver’s hands moved from her core, travelling under her dress to dance across the underside of her bra before rolling across her shoulder, his thumbing nicking against her neck.  
“Will you scream my name for me Felicity, let me hear it?” he pleaded, quickening his pace as he pushed deeper, faster inside her

“People will hear” she mewled, lifting her cheek from the cool hard shelf.  
Oliver’s arm slipped around the front of her neck, his fingers dancing in the feeling of her hot sticky breath.

“I’ll catch it” he hummed, pressing the words into her neck, his lips dragging across her shoulder  
He started to speed up, pushing soft moans and criers of pleasure from her.  
“Trust me, I’ll catch it” he continued, moving in and out of her with a speed that was beginning to match the previous round.

She went to scream as he pushed himself in deep, lunging into a spot deep inside her that he knew would trigger her pleasured cries.  
“Do it, call my name, let me catch it”

The words fell from his lips, not as a demand but a low and desperate request. He needed to hear her say his name, he needed to cement her voice in his mind.

Faster he plunged into her, her body taking him completely with heavy moans.  
She could feel his name edging over her tongue as she felt each thrust a little deeper than the last.  
“Oliv-“ she started to scream before his hand clamped down around her mouth, catching his name in the palm of his hand.

She felt his lips smile against her neck as he kissed her, slow and heavy, without changing the pace of his relentless thrusting.

She kept crying out his name, letting it press into his palm before he erupted inside her, spilling himself completely and filling her with a warmed sensation.

She couldn’t help but to continuing breathing his name into his hand even when it relaxed from her lips as he slowed his pace, letting her clenching walls milk him slowly.

“I’m not walking away from this Felicity, I can’t walk away from you”  
“I know” she replied softly

 _**So if I run it's not enough** _  
_**You're still in my head forever stuck** _

_**But don't deny the animal** _  
_**That comes alive when I'm inside you** _

  
They didn’t speak again as Felicity smoothed down her dress and combed her fingers through her hair. Oliver re-dressed before stooping to pick up her discarded satin panties.

Felicity held out her hand, silently requesting he turn them over. Oliver smiled as he brought them to his face, watching her reactional smile as he took an inhale.  
“They smell like you” he smiled  
“And I need them to wipe up you” she laughed, blinking down her legs.

She could feel his spent release starting to leak from her folds, mixing with her own.  
“Don’t” Oliver replied, pushing the panties into his pocket  
He swallowed down the hitch in his breath as his hand smooth across her flustered cheek.

“I want you to feel me inside you when you walk. I want what I left inside you to stain you slowly. So when you feel it you know I’m still on you”  
Felicity didn’t say a word as she sharply inhaled the words he spoke.

Whatever unspoken deals they were making, she knew that when she walked back out into the party and held conversations with people they worked with, she would feel his cum slowly coating a trail down her thighs. She would relish the taboo of it.

And she did just that.  
People spoke to her and she felt him, dipping slowly down her upper thigh.

She was offered a drink, and she felt him. _Slipping from her folds._  
Derek flirted.  
She felt Oliver.  
_Tempered cum, slowly down her leg._

She caught Oliver’s eye across the room, the secrets they shared dancing through her iris.  
She watched him lick his fingers.  
_A single glistened droplet sliding down._

He tapped his jean’s pocket.  
_Sliding further down, an endless trial._  
_Oliver, rolling down her legs._

Whatever this was, she was wrong when she thought it was the end.  
_Oh no._  
This was just the beginning.


	11. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title song:  
> "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You"  
> Cary Brothers

_**I’ve come to tell you all the truth** _  
_**Though you always had the proof of it** _  
_**My arm will grow** _  
_**Chest expanding** _  
_**Of all the boys you could have landed** _  
_**Why’d it have to be me?** _

_**You…can’t take my eyes off of you** _

**[Late January 2013]**

She was having an affair.  
Of sorts.  
To the world Oliver was a happily ensconced with his long-term girlfriend and a baby on the way and there were the paparazzi pictures to _prove_ it. But as Oliver rolled slowly over in the bed next to her – _her_ bed, she knew that perception wasn’t always reality.

Oliver was with her; while maintaining some semblance of a life with Chantelle that was nothing but smoke and mirrors. They hid from the outside world, only a select few were privy to their arrangements.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was where life placed them and for now she was okay with that.  
Felicity watched as Oliver’s lips folded silently in towards each other with each small breath he took in his sleep. She knew he was just trying to do what he thought was best and she had come to terms with it all.

Chantelle had given Oliver a choice. He either maintained a semblance of a happy life with her – for press, for papers, for exposure, for the almighty dollar – or she would move back to the States, fully aware that Oliver held no parental rights while she was pregnant and bury him in insurmountable paperwork should he even attempt to try. It was not a threat without merit. Once the child was born it could take months or longer to make any headway through the Court system, longer if she decided to decline a paternity test. His hands would be tied for longer than he was prepared to let them be.

While Chantelle was fully aware that Oliver remained ‘with’ her for this purpose alone, she was not aware that he and Felicity had begun seeing each other behind a shrouded curtain of secret looks and rendezvous. Oliver had insisted on it – should his treaty with Chantelle go south, he was adamant that she would not use an affair as ammunition and take Felicity down as collateral damage. He knew how it would look and he would avoid that at all costs.

And so it was.  
That’s why Felicity was having an affair – of sorts.

The show remained on hiatus, although filming would begin in a few days. Felicity had gone to Bali and enjoyed the sun and company of her close friends. Away from it all she had realised that despite the complexities of this course, it was absolutely Oliver that she wanted to be with.

After the party he had told her that he cared deeply for her, opening his heart out – laid bare and honest, but that he wouldn’t stop her walking away if this wasn’t something she wanted to be a part of.

It had been one mid-afternoon jaunt along the beach that had somehow pushed all the pieces together for Felicity. Complicated or simple, her heart wanted what it wanted and that was to be with Oliver.

She accepted the terms and provided some of her own when they spoke over the phone late one night.  
_You won’t sleep with her_  
Oliver had easily accepted, he hadn’t since early September and he had no intention to.  
_You won’t tell her you love you_  
Again, easily accepted. Chantelle had not asked for that and he would not offer it.  
_If there is ever a moment that you ever feel like you could do either of those things, then just tell me. For this to work, I must always know where I stand with you._

Felicity realised the slight hypocrisy of the request – Chantelle was not granted the same open honesty – but it was the only way this was going to work.

Oliver had agreed. He would keep nothing from her. A promise to which he kept true to.

Felicity smiled as she slipped out from under the heavy blanket, her toes jolting at sudden chill of her apartment floor. She wrapped a robe around her naked body and hopped onto the nearby rug, scooting it towards the bathroom.

“Where are you going? And you look ridiculous” Oliver yawned patting the empty side of the bed “Come back to bed”  
“Oliver I have a photoshoot today. I have to leave in an hour, I told you all this” she smiled brightly as she combed her fingers through her bed-tousled hair  
“That’s today?” he huffed, pulling her discarded pillow tight against his chest  
“Yes, that’s today and I need to shower”  
“Can I join you?”  
She pouted her blushed lips slightly as she slowly shook her head.  
“You have that meeting to go to” she added as she leaned against the bathroom doorway

Oliver groaned heavily as he buried his head into her pillow. His publicist had called – frequently, although Oliver wasn’t counting – trying to set up a meeting to “ _discuss some matters_ ”. She was tenacious and enjoyed the idea of “taking the bull by the horns”. He owed her much, she was part of the reason he’d landed the role on _The Naked Truth_ , but judging by the voicemails she left – and the authoritative and matron-like tone they carried – he was in for some form of a telling off.

“And you’re sure we can’t both just skip those things and stay in bed?” Oliver asked as he watched Felicity disappear into the bathroom  
“No” she called out “Thea will be here in thirty minutes, you should put some pants on”  
“I don’t recall inviting her” Oliver groaned, the biting cold nipping at his legs as he slipped out from under the covers and padded over towards the bathroom

Felicity smiled as he leaned up against the doorframe dressed only in a pair of plaid briefs.  
“I don’t think Thea requires an invitation. Plus she helps keep our little secret”

Oliver nodded with a slow shrug as he combed his fingers through his hair.  
“I’m almost certain it’s going to snow pretty heavily today, you should stay home” Oliver said with a sly grin  
“Are you saying that because you’re genuinely concerned or because you know who my photoshoot is with and you’re jealous?” Felicity smiled, folding her towel over the stainless steel rail  
“How could I not be jealous, have you seen you? There is a fundamental character flaw in any guy that doesn’t try to sweep you off your feet”  
“Derek isn’t my type” Felicity spoke softly, her eyes marching across Oliver’s as she turned the shower on, the lush sound of the falling water instantly filling the room

“My type is about this high” she spoke as she licked her lips and held an open palm on the top of Oliver’s head  
“Roguishly handsome, with surprisingly soft stubble” she continued, walking her fingers down his jawline  
She leaned in, pecking a soft kiss against his slightly parted lips.  
“Has a very dexterous tongue” she hummed the words, floating them just above his lips

“A smile that is as charming as it is cheeky” she winked, tapping her index finger across his lips still misted with the dew from her kiss moments before  
“The stamina of an athlete, a heart of gold and all the tools and expertise required to make me…” she smiled peeling back the corners of the robe until it slipped gracefully off her shoulders and pooled around her feet “very happy” she finished, her voice barely above a whisper

“I’m insanely jealous, where is this guy?” Oliver joked, his eyes walking woven paths across her naked body as she stepped back into the shower  
“I’m sort of hoping he’ll get the hint and come into the shower with me” she smiled as she tipped her head back into the water stream, letting the heavy drops course through her hair

Oliver sighed pleasurably in response as he stripped off his briefs and flew into the shower.  
“Felicity” he breathed, water drops hanging from his nose and lips as he spoke  
“Yes?” she replied, wide-eyed and happy  
“I love you”  
“I know”

***-*-*-***

“So how about you tell me why you actually wanted to see me?” Oliver huffed, tired of the small banter that he and his publicist, Rita, were embroiled in.  
He knew her well enough to know when there was something she was building towards and he was ready to just get there already.

Rita’s eyes moved between Oliver and Thea, her head nodding a little in Thea’s direction.  
“It’s fine, whatever you say to him you can say to me” Thea chimed in, shifting slightly in the faux leather chair

“Oliver, what are you doing?” Rita asked, pushing a manicured nail into her temple, her dark auburn shoulder-bob falling over her hand  
“In general or?” Oliver replied with a smiled huff  
“You know I’m a big fan of Emden, but I also hear the rumours about you and the pretty blonde”  
Oliver shifted in his seat, his eyes purposefully avoiding the look Thea shot him.  
“What’s the problem?” he asked  
“Are you sleeping with you?”  
“Would it matter?”  
“I think it might to some people, namely the people you want to give you jobs outside of this TV show”  
“I don’t see why”  
“You don’t?” she leaned in, her elbows fixed against her desk “you need to project a certain image. Having a pregnant girlfriend and sleeping with your co-star doesn’t project that image, ergo no jobs for you”  
“It can’t be that simple”  
“But it is Oliver. As an actor you don’t just play a part onscreen, you need to play a part off screen as well, and right now the part that you’re playing isn’t the hero to them. If you’re not that, you’re not particularly bankable”

She sat back in the chair, her hands folding over each other.  
“I honestly don’t care if you are sleeping with her, more power to you she looks gorgeous, but for this not to effect your career you need to bury it under a whole lot of compensation” she opened her drawer and pulled out a small box, placing it in the middle of the desk

“I know the type of compensation” she slid the box forward before Thea snapped it up and opened it, her mouth instantly gaping  
“You cannot be serious” she gaped, her eyes locked on the contents of the little velvet box “you want him to marry Chantelle!?”

Oliver let out a sharp laugh before his mouth clamped shut when he realised no one else was laughing.  
“Wait, you’re serious?” he asked, taking the box from Thea’s hands  
“It looks better if you’re married before the kid comes” Rita shrugged “get married on a beach somewhere, we can make up some cute little proposal story, you get a spread in a magazine, no problem”  
“Big problem, Oliver doesn’t love her” Thea mocked with narrowed eyes  
“That’s not relevant Thea, if you’re serious about a career in this line of work, you’d understand it”  
“It’s absurd that you would expect him to marry someone he doesn’t particularly like, let alone love”  
“Thea…” Oliver mumbled, his eyes latched onto the large polished diamond ring he was holding like dynamite  
“Absurd is that he wouldn’t take this opportunity…”  
“You can’t be fucking serious?!” Thea exclaimed  
“Thea…” Oliver said, louder  
“This is a great step for Oliver, it will cement him in the industry”  
“You’re fucking kidding me right?”  
“Thea, please!” Oliver finally found the volume that stopped the women arguing

“Oliver, you’re not seriously considering this, you love Felicity” Thea remarked  
Oliver’s jaw clenched, he hadn’t told Thea in any depth how much he felt for Felicity and for a moment it surprised and shocked him that she knew.

“She loves you too” Thea continued, softening her tone  
Oliver breathed out slowly, he was trying to avoid commenting on his relationship with Felicity to anyone.

“Oliver, think about how this will look” Rita sighed as she watched Oliver placed the small ring box onto the lip of the desk  
“Thank you for always trying to look out for my career, but I won’t be taking your advice this time” he pushed the ring box across the desk and stood up

Thea stood up moments later, her eyes glaring down at the box like it held all the world’s evil in it.

“Oliver, you’re making a mistake” Rita sighed from behind her expansive desk  
Oliver smiled as he reached for the door handle, Thea close behind.  
“No, I’m not” he replied before opening the door and leaving.

***-*-*-***

**[The Naked Truth]**

“Are you two an item?” Aiden asked as he propped himself up on the edge of Emma’s desk, his head nodding towards Kent  
“Same answer as yesterday” Emma sighed, drawing her yellow highlighter across the page without blinking.

This had not been the first time Aiden had asked her that question and she doubted it would be the last.  
“Yesterday’s answer didn’t help”  
“Then today’s wont either”

She blinked up at him just to see the charm dip from his eyes. She had thought this idle banter, but his look suggested otherwise. She pushed the lid onto the highlighter and placed it slowly down onto the transcript in front of her.

“Why do you insist of coming down here Aiden?”  
“I miss you”  
“No you don’t. You’re acting like I’m some trophy you want to try and win, but we both know if you had me you would be bored”

She paused to study his expression, but it gave nothing away. Sighing, she picked the highlighter back up, twisting it in her fingers.  
“There is a pretty little brunette secretary started on Level 10, why do you go sit on the corner of her desk” Emma quipped, pulling the top off the highlighter “take comfort in knowing your bedhead can count me as a notch and just move on”

Aiden stood up, smoothing the front of his jacket as he threaded the button through the hole.  
“I never wanted you to be just a notch Emma” he spoke wistfully as he stepped away

Emma sat quietly watching him for a moment her lips twitching over a million different words she thought about saying. She was holding her lips tight, afraid to let them have control, but there was little she could do to stop the words…  
“Then what did you want Aiden?”  
He stopped, his hands buried in his pockets, his frame pulled inwards, the confidence that he once walked with pushed aside to reveal something different – something vulnerable.

“To know what something real could feel like”  
His words fell heavy between them, enveloped in a thick cloud of silence as Aiden felt the vulnerability suddenly engulf him. It was truly terrifying and his face reflected that.

Emma’s face showed nothing, not a smile and not a frown. She had not expected his response. All his bravado and charm had slipped away from those words, leaving only what seemed to be the truth.

Aiden dropped his chin to his chest, his blue eyes holding closed for a few moments before he nodded slightly, turned and walked away.

Emma just sat there, paralysed in her own body, just her eyes showing expression as the words he spoke sunk deeper inside her.  
_Something real_ – her lips moved over the words  
She turned to watch him press the button for the elevator.

“Shit” she muttered as she threw the highlighter onto the desk  
The doors opened and Aiden stepped inside, blinking up for just a moment to catch sight of Emma walking towards him.  
“Aiden wait” she pleaded, her lips pressing into each other as Aiden stuck his arm into the closing doors, jolting them back open.

Emma slipped into the elevator, the doors closing in behind her, her body stood rigidly a foot away from Aiden’s.  
“What did you mean ‘something real’?” she asked, her chin tipped upwards to look at his eyes, desperate to see if that vulnerability was still there  
“I want to know what it feels like to be in love, to wake up beside someone and know that you can do that all again the next morning and that knowing that is the best part of my day. I want to know the noises you make when you sleep” he blew out a gentle exhale through his lips, turned up at one corner “I want to argue over towels with you, I promise I only need one”

Emma felt the sharp sudden intake of air as she watched him, scouring his face for some indication this was all just bravado but finding nothing but sincerity in the crisp blue of his eyes.

“I want to pick between scalloped and flat rimmed dinnerware with you and cook for you. Emma...” he whispered her name as his hands cupped her face, his thumbs smoothing across her cheeks as her lips fell open, but void of words  
“I want to discover the man that I can be with you. I love you”

Her gasp was audible and her hands were trembling as she pressed the emergency stop, the carriage grinding to a halt.  
“But when? When did you start to think, I… we, you” she was breathing heavily, her quivering lips fumbling over the words she was trying to say

“When I saw you running down the hall behind me and you skidded on those shoes, your hand bracing against my chest, you stepped back and you spoke to me with something I’d not seen before. You saw me as just a person and there was just something about you”  
“I was pointing a pen at you” she smiled, tugging her lip inwards  
Aiden nodded, leaning his head in just a little closer.  
“It was red”

Aiden’s lips brushed over Emma’s, dancing like a soft breeze against them until Emma raised herself up on the soles of her heels and pressed her lips firmer against his, melting into the soft confines of the kiss.

His tongue licked hesitantly over the seam of her mouth before she parted her lips and skated her tongue over his bottom lips as his scruff grazed slowly against her chin. Their breaths melded together like hot silk as Aiden kept his hands gently cupping her face. Emma sighed heavily into the kiss, letting her own hands slid down his sides and nestled into his waist.

Surrounded by the polished metal of the four walls of the elevator carriage, this kiss was one for the ages.  
“So now what?” Emma breathed, her lips still ghosting over Aiden’s  
“A date, you deserve a date” Aiden smiled

***-*-*-***

**[February 2013]**

Felicity shifted nervously in the black canvas chair, her hands smoothing down the wooden arms of it as makeup touched a light powder to her cheeks and lightly tousled her blonde locks.  
“You nervous?” Oliver asked, leaning over, his fingers twitching to touch her but his mind aware of the watchful eyes around them  
“I always get a little anxious about these press junkets” Felicity replied folding her lips gently into each other  
“Only like three more hours of this” he laughed “and then we get to go to the Emmys”

Felicity laughed as she slipped a jellybean into her mouth before folding another into Oliver’s pocket.

He plucked the same from the pocket of his grey tarnished denim shirt and slipped the jellybean into his mouth with a wink second before the interviewer eased into her seat and greeted them with an off-camera introduction.

***-*-*-***

“Oliver and Felicity, Emma and Aiden, it’s great to have you guys here. We back into the rest of the season now and wow, things are heating up between you two” the interviewer commented, gesturing with the cue cards she had in her hands “will you guys become a normal couple now on the show?”

“Like a couple that stays at home on a Tuesday night arguing about what show to watch?” Oliver smiled, his body instinctively leaning towards Felicity as she looked on  
“Well Aiden did say he wanted to argue over towels with Emma” the interviewer laughed

“He did, you know he only needs the one, Emma can have all the rest” Oliver winked  
Felicity’s hand moved to his shoulder, oblivious to the way it might look as she just did what came naturally  
“Emma would be grateful if Aiden didn’t leave that one damp towel on her side of the bed”

“Just don’t use his towel” Oliver laughed  
“Are we fighting?” Felicity grinned playfully  
“Not yet” he hummed with a tip of his head

“You guys have filmed a lot of very risqué moments together, how do you do it?” came the next question from the interviewer  
“I feel like we have no boundaries between us” Felicity answered her eyes tracking over Oliver’s  
“Aiden is a very sexual character and so we really just had to make the commitment and really go for those scenes”  
“We have a really good time, it’s not as romantic as it would be in real life, boobs are like everywhere…just the whole thing, but you see these moments in the script and you know its going to be a good day”

“So is their relationship just based on this sexual thing or will we see more, will we get that date he promised?”  
“I think their relationship is so much more than that and you’ll get to see that down the track” Felicity answered, a hand folding through her hair idly  
“I think it’s pretty clear that Aiden loves Emma” Oliver added, swapping his crossed legs, once again instinctively leaning towards Felicity  
“She’s totally in love with him too”  
Oliver couldn’t stop the smile from broaching his lips, he knew what Felicity was saying and it had almost nothing to do with Emma.

“We’ve seen Aiden kiss a few girls before Emma, can we ask who’s the best?”  
Oliver laughed, leaning back in the chair. He knew the answer immediately but for a few moments he wondered whether he should answer it or not.  
“Felicity” he nodded with a grin he was attempting to subdue “as Emma” he added, catching the inference in his answer  
“Thank you” Felicity nodded, her brightly painted lips folding up into a softly pouted smile “he’s also a good kisser, for TV’s sake, his lips are like little pillow mountains and I do moisturise mine”

“So Emden won’t be breaking our hearts anytime soon?” the interviewer grilled with a played up side-eye  
Oliver shrugged obtrusively and Felicity smiled.  
“I mean I hope we don’t see the end of them, Emden just rules for me”  
“He might need to put a ring on it” she shrugged coyly

“That kiss you two shared in the elevator just made elevators get a whole lot sexier, will we see any more elevators in your future?”  
“May I?” Oliver smiled, his hand dropping without caution onto Felicity’s leg  
“You may” she replied with a smile  
“I mean, I don’t know, I feel like when you’ve made out in one elevator you’ve made out in them all. But I do have it in my head that Emma pushing the emergency stop button just broke the elevator and they had to climb through the roof and swing across the shaft, I don’t think I would be allowed to do that, but I love the idea”

The interviewer smiled through her laugh.  
“So we won’t see Aiden and Emma swinging through an elevator shaft?”  
“Probably not” Oliver replied  
“You know they have elevators here” Felicity piped in  
“They do? We should go”  
“We should”

“Thank you guys for dropping by, fans love seeing you two together and people are hoping for this one to stick for Aiden”  
“Me too” Oliver nodded  
“Enjoy the rest of your time in LA”  
“Thank you” Felicity smiled, her foot lightly grazing up Oliver’s leg  
She knew she shouldn’t have, that someone would probably notice that little slip, but they were like magnets and it was almost impossible for a part of her body not to be touching a part of his.

***-*-*-***

The mid-morning turned to an afternoon of interviews together and apart. When they were together their hands struggled to not lay gentle touches onto each other and when they were apart their eyes would track across the room until they landed on each other.

 _**Of all the boys you could have landed** _  
_**Why’d it have to be me?** _

_**You…can’t take my eyes off of you** _

The afternoon turned into evening, their fingers lightly interlinked as they sat next to each other under the warm glow of the chandelier lights. No one saw the way Oliver’s eyes danced the first time he saw her step from the limo, the sleek red dress formed around each and every curve he knew so well. He thanked the night that no one had asked him for comment at that precise moment because he would have nothing coherent to say except his undying affection for her.

The world of lights and camera flashes around them dissolved into nothing when he saw her.  
Felicity Smoak, his friend, his co-star, his lover – his chance.

The heavy thicket of night had fallen over the City when they returned to the hotel, separate rooms across the hall, other cast dotted in rooms between them. They could both feel the heat between them as they stepped from the elevator, their hands entwined through the quiet and private ride to their floor.

“You look beautiful tonight” Oliver whispered as they stopped outside Felicity’s door  
“You said that already” she blushed, blinking downward  
Oliver dipped his finger under her chin and raised her head, her eyes meeting with the sincerity in his  
“I don’t think it could be said enough”

The elevator dinged at the end of the hall and they stepped apart – it was not completely unthinkable that if someone saw them this close the news would leak swiftly and for now their relationship needed to remain concealed behind a wall of close friends and family.

Even within the cast of the show there were some that would sell them out in a heartbeat and it was for that reason they knew they should sleep apart tonight despite their longing not to.  
“You should go to your room” Felicity side, swiping her card through her hotel room door  
“I’ll see you tomorrow”  
“You will”  
“Till tomorrow then”  
His lips brushed her cheek softly, his breath warm and gentle against her neck.  
“Till tomorrow” she hummed

Oliver stepped back and watched her disappear into her room until he was staring at the plain white door with the heavy gold numbers staring tauntingly at him.  
“I love you” he breathed, assured by some, perhaps unfounded, faith that she had heard him and replied I love you too from the confines of her room.

  
_**You…can’t take my eyes off of you** _

***-*-*-***

  
Oliver heard the tiny knock of something tapping against the hotel room door. His brow furrowed as he checked the clock, 11.57pm. Who in the world?

He slid out from the covers, slipped pants over his briefs, muted the TV and walked purposefully to the hotel door.

Oliver opened the door and was met with a black handbag rattling in front of him.  
Felicity poked her head out from behind the handbag and shook it, making the very distinctive sound of rattling bottles.

“I raided my mini bar, let me in” she smiled

It wasn’t long before the contents of her bag were spilled across the white linen of the large California king bed. Miniature bottles of vodka, rum, gin and various other top shelf alcoholic drinks amongst and array of nuts, pretzels, some form a bacon treats, half a dozen individually wrapped cookies and a scattering of random accompaniments.

It was then that something caught Oliver’s eye  
“Why would you bring this?” he chuckled with mischievous eyes as he held up the travel-sized bottle of honey

Felicity shrugged softly, the strap of her top slipping down her shoulder “You never know when you might need honey”

* * *

  
**As with all Lifetime movies, there is something to be said for “ _Source Material_ ”, so to read some source material for this ‘loosely based on actual events’-esk chapter go here …. [Honey & Happenstance](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6432964/chapters/15006988) (do not read if you don't live in a dumpster).**

 **But let’s be honest, if you’re reading this....you probably do**  


 


	12. Bad Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Penultimate chapter.....
> 
> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title Song:  
> Bad Things   
> By Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello

_**Don't matter what you say**_  
 _ **Don't matter what you do**_  
 _ **I only wanna do bad things to you**_  
 _ **So good, that you can't explain it**_  
 _ **What can I say, it's complicated**_  
~

**[March 2013]**   
**[The Naked Truth]**

Aiden folded his hand roughly through his hair, cleared his throat and tried to look anywhere but out the large boardroom windows. He could feel his pants tightening and the words falling from his brain until there was nothing but grunting and curse words left.

She looked _incredible_.  
And he was having a hard time concentrating on anything.  
Pairs of eyes glared at him, just waiting for him to speak – but he had nothing. He fumbled with the papers in front of him – _he knew this, he knew what he was supposed to say._

But the instant she walked past the window in that little purple dress that hugged her hips and swung back and forth over her deliciously perfect ass, he completely forgot _everything_.

His collar got tight around his neck when he saw that lump of a man following behind her. He’d not spoken a single word to the man but Aiden had concluded Kent was an asshole and the mere thought that he got to walk behind Emma and _watch that sweet…_ his head cocked to the side as his lips parted _sweet ass_

“I’m sorry Aiden, did you say something?” one of the partners enquired as another tapped a heavy gold plated pen on the table.  
Aiden sniffed back his thoughts and choked up an inhale.  
“No, uh, nothing” he stumbled

He knew he was making the biggest cockup of his career right now, he also knew that this case would make him or break him for partnership, but all he could think of was peeling that little purple dress off Emma and devouring every inch of skin he found there.

He reached under the thick glass table and pressed down firmly on the button that fogged the windows – as much as he wanted to watch her some more, he was about to go down in a screaming heap and his inseam couldn’t take the distraction a moment longer.

The case was complex to say the least, their client was a high profile mogul with a reputation for fast money, fast cars and fast women, unfortunately the latter of those three things was finally catching up on him.

Aiden cleared his throat a second time and finally the words came back.  
“During one particularly lavish hedonistic party on the night of 14 February 2012 our client, Mister Johan Malcolm, by his own admission got decidedly wasted on both alcohol and a concoction of illegal drugs. It was during this time that he met the victim, a miss…” Aiden flicked through his notes searching for her name “Sara Cait”

“The stripper?” someone asked from the back of the room  
“An exotic dancer yes, the place she worked is a very exclusive sex club, for lack of a better descriptor”  
“Should be easy enough to dispute her claims, she was there for sex, Malcolm simply took what she offered” an older gentleman with a thick grey beard commented, relaxing into his chair like he had just solved a difficult crossword puzzle

Aiden forced a smile before flicking through the papers he had in front of him.  
“Turn to page 12” he instructed before the sound of rustling paper echoed through the room  
“As you will see by the photos of the victim _this_ was not what she was offering”

The site of her mangled face, swollen and covered in her own blood, made even Aiden – a hardened defence attorney – sick to the pit of his stomach.

“Mistaken identity?” another voice spoke up from around the table, this time a middle aged women who wore a sensible bun at the crown of her head  
“Video evidence has him entering the room with Ms Cait, his credit card transactions have him there as do countless witnesses, he was arrested at the scene covered in her blood. He was there, he did this, there is no doubt” Aiden replied   
“And his statement?”  
“Unfortunately aside from offering the interviewing officer a subsequent bribe on video tape in exchange for letting him walk from the room, we have ten minutes of him saying he’s never seen this girl, never been to this club and never hired a prostitute in his life, he just woke up there, like that” Aiden paused, for effect “before we have another twenty minutes of him saying she was a whore that deserved it”

A collective sigh swept through the room.  
“Can we plead down temporary insanity based on toxicology?”  
Aiden shook his head “that would be unprecedented in this case and unfortunately the prosecution has a list of at least ten previous girlfriends who will attest to him treating them the same way without drugs factoring into the scenario”

“So, what’s your angle?” Aiden’s father asked, his eyes firmed on him  
“We don’t have one” Aiden said softly as his eyes tracked across the victim’s photo  
There was no doubt in his mind Malcolm did this and there was no doubt that he ought to be accountable for it.

“We’re defence lawyers, he’s a cornerstone client, you’ll find an angle”  
“The best we can hope for is a plea deal that sees him do less amount of time”  
“Unacceptable” the grey beard piped up, agitated   
“You put this before a jury and he’ll do life” Aiden replied tersely   
“You get the victim up on the stand and you destroy her”  
“He hit her around the face with a fire extinguisher in an attack that lasted twenty minutes before they finally managed to breakdown the door and find him smoking a cigar. She’s lucky to be alive, you can’t possibly achieve anything out of cross examination but to make yourself into the devil personified to the jury. This _isn’t_ a case of he said, she said”

Robert Richards stood and placed a firm palm down the side of his lapel.  
“Talk to the prosecution, see what they can offer. If Malcolm rejects it, you better have some way of navigating this case”

Aiden sighed heavily before he nodded slowly.

“Come back to us tomorrow morning with something Aiden, you know what this case means for you”  
He did.

The room emptied, leaving Aiden with his thoughts. He’d spent years defending people that – honestly – didn’t deserve it, but this guy was a piece of work. Sara wasn’t the first and she wouldn’t be the last – he was certain of it, yet his rise up the ranks into partnership status depended on getting a ‘good’ outcome for someone who didn’t deserve it. For once the conflict was burning lines into his face and tugging at his very soul.

“Is everything okay, you look pained” a quiet voice peeped from the doorway  
Aiden looked up and rested a slow smile on his lips when he saw Emma standing there in that delicious purple dress.

His head nodded her into the room and she obliged, closing the door with a soft click before she locked it. There were whispers around the firm about their entanglement, but they had both decided to neither confirm nor deny it.

“You look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders” she smiled as she walked around the large glass table, her finger dragging around the rim of it  
“I’m better now, seeing you” he stood up and flicked the file closed   
“In that dress” he whispered as his hands sunk in against her waist   
“This old thing?” Emma winked, folding a finger through the thick strap  
“You wore it on purpose and you walked past this room on purpose” Aiden hummed into her ear  
“Nonsense, I needed to use the copier”   
“There is one closer”  
“Hmmm” she breathed, pressing a nude-painted finger against her pouted red lip “I guess there is”

Aiden’s fingers tightened around her waist as his lips ghosted up her neck breathing hot, moist air onto her skin. He could smell her scent and feel her heat radiating from her skin and it sent bolts of thunder down his spine as he slowly traced his tongue across his lips, desperate to see if her scent had left a taste there.

Emma sighed softly as she felt his fingers walk up her spine, tracing the path the zipper there took, his palm reached the base of her neck and his fingers fanned out before smoothing up her neck and weaving into her hair. He tugged her head back, opening the front of her neck to the soft, sensual kisses he peppered there.  
“You make me want to do very bad things to you” he growled, the words resonating through her skin  
“Aiden” she purred his name and it send a quiver through his groin “we’re in the office”  
“That hasn’t stopped us before” he smiled against her flushed collarbone as his tongue lathed against the silken skin there “very, very bad things”

“Can’t this wait until tonight?” she smiled as her fingers toyed with fine wisps of hair along the back of his hairline   
“Tonight? Why what’s tonight?” he mumbled, his lips folding around a soft patch of skin which he proceeded to nibble at

Emma slunk her hands down his shoulder and pushed him back, separating his lips from her smooth skin only by an inch – but it could have been by miles the way his whole body sighed at the imagined cavernous distance.

“You’ve forgotten haven’t you?” she pouted, the tips of her lips twisting up into a hurt furrow   
Aiden winked as he turned her gently and pressed the back of her thighs against the cool lip of the glass table, eliciting a sharp hiss from her lips at the sudden cool jolt.  
“I haven’t forgotten. I’m picking you up at seven” he replied, just the hint of a smile working its way into the blue of his eyes   
“Why did you act like you’d forgotten?” she quipped, playfully slapping his shoulder  
“Because” he smoothed a finger over her lips, staining his finger a stifled shade of red “I like seeing you pout these soft” he paused, kissing her lips, his finger still pressed against them “lips” he whispered, almost breathless

“Just like you wore this dress and walked past this room, because you knew what it would do to me” he continued, pressing his clothed erection against her inner thigh  
She shrugged as her lips turned up into a grin. She slid her hands up the fluted skirt of her dress and gently tugged a pair of wispy black lace panties down her thighs.

She pushed them to her knee and let them fall unaided around her feet where she stepped one patent nude leather shoe from between them and kicked the other shoe up behind her, plucking the panties from around the stiletto heel.

“Just like I know what this will do to you” she winked, balling up the panties and slipping them into the pocket of his deep grey pants, her eyes staying locked with his

Aiden let out a stunted groan as he felt the weight of her hand deep inside his pocket. His cock grew stiff against the fabric of both his Calvin’s and the suit pants, making it impossible to hide.

“Can we do lunch?” he growled, firming his grip around her waist as he leaned his rock hard cock against her thigh  
“Aiden, it’s only eleven”  
“Brunch then”  
“I can’t leave the office”  
“I don’t think you’re understanding me” he gruffed as he raised an eyebrow and lifted her onto the table

Her hands caught the shriek that escaped her mouth as the sensation of the cold glass ricocheted up her body.  
“I’m having you for lunch” he breathed the words against her skin as he walked her body down onto the table “your lips, suffocating my kiss”

She probably should have stopped him, but when his hands drove up either side of her legs and flipped the skirt of her dress up over her waist she was absolutely powerless to stop him. Her protests would have been half-hearted at best because as she tugged her bottom lip into her mouth and lay her head back onto the table, she knew she wanted this just as much.

Aiden licked his lips as he positioned each of her legs up on the arms of two nearby chairs, hooking her heels over them and opening her up to his devilish grin.  
“Aiden, we could get caught”  
“Not as long as you keep quiet” he breathed, his body positioned between her legs as his fingers slowly walked across the tempered skin of her inner thighs.

He kissed her lips deeply, pressing her head into the table as one of his hands cupped her neck and the other rested a palm against her mound and slipped two fingers between her scorching heat.

“Good, I see you won’t take much warming up” he spoke, each word hummed against her lips  
Her teeth skated across his bottom lip before sinking into it causing Aiden to growl from low in his chest. It was visceral and primal and it caused her hips to buck up against his fingers, slipping them deeper inside her folds.  
“Oh we’re going to enjoy this” he smiled as he started a path down the smooth velvet skin of her stomach.

His tongue swept over her bellybutton, diving in it before pulling it back and sucking gently against the skin there. He wanted to mark her – just enough, so that when she changed for their date tonight she would see it, that tiny little red botched mark set against the backdrop of her milk skin, calling out his name and returning this moment to her memory.

“I’m starving” he said as he looked up at her and licked his lips.

**~*~*~*~**

The scene-ending bell rung through the small set as Felicity flipped down the skirt of her dress to cover the nude panties she was still wearing and Oliver offered her a hand to scoot off the cool table.

Her thighs made a slight squeak as she stood from the table and brushed her hair back from her face. She could feel the blush across her cheeks and the ranging temperature soaring between her legs. Oliver had gone further than the script required, but the director had loved it, she assumed, by the way he was now patting Oliver firmly on the shoulder and spouting words like “perfect”, “sexual” and “engaging”.

She knew he had actually marked her with his mouth because Oliver wanted to and not because anything needed _Aiden_ too. That part was not in the script but Felicity relished the sensation of it still coursing through her.

She touched a finger to the spot and smiled, she would definitely think of him when wardrobe had her change out of this outfit; and from the smug look on Oliver’s face – he knew it.

**~*~*~*~**

“I could smell you, you know” Oliver whispered as he walked along behind Felicity “you were wet for me, so deliciously wet”  
He was so close she felt his words mist against the nape of her neck.  
“Oliver you did that on purpose” she remarked softly, craning her neck to look back over her shoulder at him  
“I love the way you smell, if you only knew what it does to me”  
“You took it too far Oliver” she quipped, although her eyes disagreed with the statement  
“I can’t help myself with you”  
“People will see us. You need to be more careful”

He huffed loudly causing an intern to look down the corridor at them.  
“We need to be more discrete” she lamented, hating ever word that came from her mouth  
“I’m the one that should be saying things like that” he laughed lightly, the smile springing up into his eyes  
“Yes, you _should_ be” she replied, touching a finger to his unshaven jaw “yet you’re given me hickeys in front of a dozen crew members”  
“For the show” he winked  
“You know that’s not true”   
“We work so well together Felicity, no boundaries remember”  
“I’m starting to think you might need them” she winked, her eyes lost in his  
“Come to my trailer tonight?” he asked, clutching his hands to his side in an attempt to not touch her like he so desperately wanted

“Oliver, we probably shouldn’t” she breathed, although her protest was barely even half-hearted   
“I need to finish what I started”  
The guttural growl in his words stirred up a sensation she felt from the tip of her toes to the clamping folds of her sex.

“After we’ve filmed the date” she smiled as she tugged on the inner corner of her bottom lip

  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“Where are we going?” Emma asked as Aiden opened the passenger side door of the black sedan parked against the curb outside her simple Brownstone  
“You’ll have to wait and see” he smiled as he folded into the car beside her, his tongue dancing across his bottom lip as though he was sure remnants of her still lingered there

He watched her blush in the haze from the nearby streetlamps, her skin a luminous milky colour, a beautifully stark contrast to the rich red of her dress. His eye caught sight of the zip that started at the hem and shot like an arrow up towards her waist, he couldn’t help but let a coy smile sink over his lips.

“Next stop” he spoke, tapping the driver on his shoulder  
The request garnered a short nod before the car pulled back out onto the road.  
“Why can’t you tell me now?” Emma grinned, heaving out a playful sigh  
“Because” he winked as he stole the pause to brush a kiss against her cheek “it’s a surprise”

“It’s a Friday night, someone from the firm is bound to see us” Emma remarked as she folded her hands onto her lap, toying with the small black clutch she held there “we’re both aware of the talk around the water cooler, but to give credence to is was something I’m not sure I’m ready to do”

“I don’t think that will be a problem” Aiden replied as he watched the lights from outside the car dance across the curves of her face, he knew he was staring, but he had long ago stopped caring that she might notice

“You don’t” she quipped, blushing slightly when she caught his gaze  
“No, I don’t think it will. Trust me” the last two words melted from his lips and clung to her heart as he spoke them.  
It may have been a whirlwind affair of months she could count on her hands, but she did trust him.

The car pulled off the highway and onto a dimly lit road, heading towards a large area bathed in the white light of surrounding floodlights. Emma squinted out the window, desperate to guess where they were heading.

It wasn’t until the roar of something familiar whirred overhead that she finally figured out where they were.  
“Is this an airport?” she remarked, her eyes widening at the prospect  
“Of sorts, it’s a private landing strip”  
“Aiden” she breathed his name softly and it make his lips tremble in response “are we flying somewhere?”

He watched her as the excitement rose against the apples of her cheeks and skipped across her eyes.

The car pulled alongside a small private get and glided to a halt as Emma clambered over Aiden to stare out his tinted window at it.  
“Where are we going?” she pipped, her hand gripping into his leg  
“You’ll see”  
He opened the door and slid out before offering her his hand. He watched with careful eyes as her dress scooted up her thighs when she moved across the seat before she stepped from the car and idly shuffled it back down.

He was going to do delicious things to her in that dress and the smile plastered across his face was a telling sign of that promise.

“I know you like Italian” he spoke as he walked her towards the steps of the plane  
“Who doesn’t?” she shrugged  
“But I didn’t think any of the ones in the City were good enough for you”  
He placed her hand gently on the railing of the stairs and gestured her up to the first step. She gave him a quizzical look but moved up the steps in spite of her nervous reluctance.

“So?” she asked as she reached the top step, Aiden a step behind her  
“So naturally, we’re going to Italy to taste it the way it should be”  
Emma’s mouth fell open as she almost stumbled into the airplane.  
“Aiden, I-“ she was struggling for words to express “I don’t know what to say, I haven’t packed a thing”  
“You’ll be naked most of the time” he whispered as his tongue lapped up her earlobe and the delicate earring that hung there “and I took the liberty of buying you a few things”  
“But work?”  
“It’s a long weekend Emma, you’ll be back to work first thing Tuesday morning, a little tired, maybe a little sore, but very..” he paused, pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw “ _very_ well taken care of”

**~*~*~*~**

The scene ended with Felicity and Oliver disappearing into the plane, the same shot that would end the penultimate episode of the season. In editing they would simply add a close up shot of Oliver, Aiden, toying with the small ring box in his pocket that he had placed there moments before pulling to the curb outside her apartment.

It interwove well with the onscreen argument that Aiden had had with his father about the office romance that Robert was absolutely aware of and instructed Aiden that he best “finish up with soon”

Aiden had shot back that for once in his life he was happy and that wasn’t that something to savour, the response came back from his father as a sarcastic laugh and the threat that him carrying on with this absurdity notion of love would not prove conductive to Aiden making partner.

Aiden had slammed the ring box onto his father’s burnt mahogany desk and cursed that he “Didn’t give a fuck about that”

The viewer was to see the turmoil that Aiden was suffering at the hands of this fork in the road, but when he patted the pocket that housed the beautiful princess cut diamond and the camera panned up to his excited smile – they were to believe that all would be well and he had made his choice.

After production started to clear away from the lot and Felicity had hung back sufficient enough time to not be seen leaving with Oliver, she made her way through the darkened lot to his trailer.

She looked around to find not a single pair of eyes looking at her as she knocked quickly on his trailer door.

The door swung open less than a second after her fist lifted off the door, as though he had been waiting, ready, behind it. Felicity almost fell in and Oliver closed the door promptly behind her.

They wasted no time, their lips crashing into each other’s, as Felicity fell against the wall with a hefty thud. She groaned in his mouth as his hands traversed her body, sinking in against the smooth curves of her hips. Oliver pressed himself against her, desperate for every part of his body to be touching some part of hers.

She was still in that red dress from the final scene, promising wardrobe that she would give it back tomorrow after she changed for the night. Oliver’s fingers gripped around the tag of the zipper as his tongue swept across the seam of her lips, his voice humming his approval at the synchronised sensations.

He tugged on the zipper, pulling it tantalisingly slow up her thigh, stealing each breathy moan she released into his mouth at the seduction.  
“Oliver” she moaned his name and he hungrily kissed the words from her lips before his tongue darted through her parted mouth and delved around the warm and inviting sanctuary of her mouth

The skirt of the sinfully red dress peeled open, exposing her thigh to the heaving swipe of his palm. He kneaded into the taunt but soft muscle he found there, the delight at his exploration carried across the low primal noises he pressed against her lips.

Oliver spun her around, gently caressing the small of her back with his hand while the other trekked a few inches more upward, now kneading into her ass with mounting pleasure. The back of her knees hit into his deep chocolate leather office chair, shaking her slightly off balance before Oliver caught and steadied her against the chair.

“Sit down” he grunted as he tore his hands away from her body  
She knew there wasn’t much time to be had for the back and forth they so openly enjoyed, their time limited at best – rushed at worst – so she complied without question, the warm leather instantly melting into her one naked thigh.

Oliver tugged on the waist of the dress, pulling it loosely upwards and now exposing both her thighs to the soft caress of the padded leather chair.

“I don’t think we’ll both fit on this chair, we’ve tried that before” she smiled as his body angled over her, smattering hot kisses across her neck  
“I told you I wanted to finish what I started” he spoke into her misted skin as his hands worked her dress further up her body, exposing her navel.

His eyes worked over her body, searching until he saw the little red mark he had left there earlier in the day.  
“I’ve been waiting all day” he moaned as he kissed over the same spot, sucking in her deliciously soft flesh once again

He wasted no time slipping his fingers under the thin slip of meshed cotton and delving between her sweltering folds. She mewled into the heated air as he had her body writhing against his fingers.

She caught and stifled a gasp by sinking her teeth into her lip, marring the expertly applied rouge, as Oliver tore the thin fabric between his large hands, the fabric like paper in his grip.  
“Sorry” he growled as he threw the torn panties aside

Hot flashes burned like fire through her core as Oliver drew his tongue in circles over her thigh. She needed him to venture further, his toying whimsy almost more than she could take.

His name fell like water from her lips as she rocked her hips atop the hand he slid underneath her.

Oliver wanted to stretch this moment longer, watch Felicity writhe in anticipation of his tongue finally wrapping around her sensitive heat, but such luxury of time was not afforded them at this moment and Oliver was unsure if he himself could last those agonizingly long moments, his desire to have her scent and her taste spread across his lips, almost eating him alive.

He stole another moment to watch her hands gripping tightly around the arms of the chair, her nails tugging the fabric inward, taunt and puckered, as his tongue finally licked ever-so-lightly through her heat.

He eased her leg up, jerking her body closer to him as he knelt on the floor in front of her. He whispered words she didn’t hear against her nether lips when he folded her leg over his shoulder, resting it there before repeating the same with the other leg.

“Are you comfortable?” his asked, a sly hand trickling fingers up the underside on her leg  
Felicity nodded, her gently parted lips sucking in short breaths of air as her hand searched for an anchoring in the lengths of his hair.

He kissed her slowly, relishing the aroma she palpitated through his nostrils. He couldn’t explain it, it was like nothing he’d had the pleasure of indulging in before. He knew her, intimately, almost like her every scent, every curve, every _everything_ had become written on his very soul.

His lips parted hers, allowing his tongue to roll up against her dewy entrance and skim over her clit. Oliver twitched as her grip tightened around the base of his hair, sending a shockwave over his scalp. He continued to work her with gentle washes of the flat of his tongue.

“Felicity” he hummed against her sensitive bundle, drawing out the last syllable of her name until his lips folded around her clit  
She bucked at the sensation, her grip tightening on both the arm of the chair and the strands of hair wrapped through her fingers.

Oliver reached his hand up, tugging it from his scalp, the burning sensation coursing across it was now more than he could take. Felicity let her hand fall freely down the side of the chair, swinging like a pendulum until her fingertips found their way to his jaw.

She feathered her fingers across his cheek, feeling the way his cheeks hollowed as he sucked in around her clit. She cursed and squirmed under his libations, her breathy moans still stirring him on. Her fingertips roamed his face, walking a blind path to his lips which were buried between her folds.

Oliver groaned his approval at the way her fingers touched herself as her thumb lay anchored to the hollow of his cheek. Hands down it was the most sexually charged thing he had ever experienced.

He swooped and swirled his tongue across her clit and down through her folds before inching his head back. Her fingers lay dazed between her lips with her palm cupping around her mound.

“Touch yourself” he pleaded, his words echoing the desire he wanted to indulge   
The flat of her middle finger stroked up her sex in strong, fluid motions as her eyes lulled closed. Oliver blew soft bursts of air against her, causing her legs to tighten around his shoulder, pinching in around his head.

He watched, mesmerised, as she let her fingers sink through her folders, bathing in the slick juices that had started to brim from her.

With her fingers still pleasuring her own body, Oliver delved his tongue inside her. She gasped, sinking her teeth into her already swollen lip. He could hear her gentle moans as her body rocked with the movement.

He lapped her up letting her spill without restraint over his lips as his tongue thrust in and out of her.

She clamped around him, a veil of sweat beading across her brow as his tongue worked harder and her fingers hurried to match his speed.

Oliver pulled back just enough to drink the very sight of her in. The way the blush from her cheeks fanned down her neck and disappeared from sight under her dress. The way her breasts rose tight against the confines of the bodice; her panting breaths forcing them upward. The way her tongue lapped against her pouted and swollen lips, the fainted red colouring now stained with the fresh bite marks she had inflicted. The way her head lulled around the padded back of the chair, spilling her once neatly primed hair over her face and sticking it to her moist brow.

She was a sight.   
She was _his_ sight.

**_Am I out of my head?_ **   
**_Am I out of my mind?_ **   
**_If you only knew the bad things I like_ **

He wanted to watch her bring her own orgasm, small kisses to the top of her hand designed to spur her on.  
“Cum Felicity” he ordered with a primal growl from the deep recesses of his core.  
He said it again, and a third time, his hands forcing her fingers inside herself.

She cried out before clamping her lips closed again.  
He wanted to see her unravel in front of him like he had never wanted for anything in his life. He guided her fingers deeper inside her, pressing rough kisses inside her thigh, the scruff of his jaw rubbing against her sex

His teeth sunk into her and she gasped and stammered through an exhale.

Oliver watched her buck in the chair with carnal delight before he saw her tip over the edge.

Her orgasm thundered over her like the crack of a whip. She was instantly engulfed in it, her limbs forgetting how to function as her pelvis sunk deeper into the seat of the chair.

She felt the moment Oliver’s mouth encased her clit and his tongue lapped up her release. She heard him humming against her and for a moment Felicity thought a second wave might hit due to the sounds he made as he feasted on her.

She let her mind wander for a few moments to when they would have to leave this moment and pretend like they were nothing more than co-stars. It seemed to get harder each time, but as the feeling returned to her limbs and she let out a contended sigh, she knew that there were parts of Oliver forever left on her that no distance could take away.

_**I want you forever** _   
_**Even when we’re not together** _   
_**Scars on my body so I can take you wherever** _


	13. Don't Let Me Let You Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note:
> 
> When you see [The Naked Truth] at the beginning of a section the following is within the show.
> 
> If that header is not present then the section is “real life”.
> 
> Title song:  
> Don’t Let Me Let You Go   
> Jamie Lawson

**I know I make mistakes**   
**And I can let you down**   
**Don’t always find the words to say**   
**For all this searching you’re the best thing that I’ve found**   
**I’ll be hoping you stay**

 

**[The Naked Truth]**

Emma stretched out in the warm glow of the mid-morning sun streaming in through the windows that overlooked the sea views afforded to the quaint little Italian villa set into the rugged hill face.

She could stay here indefinitely and last night when they stumbled inside the front door, their mouths wrapped around each other, she had considered telling Aiden as much. Everything felt different here in the best possible way. Emma didn’t watch for faces that might recognise them and make her the talk of the firm. She knew the instant they went public everything she had done or achieved would be called favouritism and she was much too proud to let anyone think that the case.

She breathed out a soft sigh after realising the space beside her was empty. Reluctantly she slipped from between the sheets and wrapped one of Aiden’s shirts around her naked body and slunk into a pair of fiery-red satin panties.

She padded the cool terracotta tiles of the bedroom out into the small open plan living area where she found Aiden, dressed only in plaid boxers, pouring over bundles of paper.

“You bought work with you, colour me unsurprised” she smiled as her wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the crown of his head  
“No rest for the wicked” he smiled, kissing a trail down her forearm “fresh coffee on the stove”  
“Mmm, perfect” Emma hummed as she took the few small steps to the kitchenette and plucked a ceramic floral mug from the mug tree

“What case?” she asked as she poured the rich black coffee into the mug  
“Johan Malcolm” Aiden mumbled, his blue pen scribbling notes as he thought of them along the margins of the page  
“Ahhh, I heard about this one” Emma peeped “absolutely awful, but would be a huge learning experience”  
Aiden stopped writing and looked across the room at Emma as she leaned against the kitchen counter, his shirt barely covering her voluptuous ass.

“They were putting the word out for junior counsel, so I signed up. I didn’t know you were handling it first chair”  
“No” Aiden snipped, louder than he had intended, but his point made nevertheless  
“I’m sorry, no?”  
“Take your name off the card Emma, you’re not getting in on this case”  
“Aiden, you know the type of experience someone like me could get from a case like this, the media coverage itself will be a phenomenal way to learn to work the media outlets. Is this because” she paused, lifting her chin and narrowing her eyes “because of us?”

Aiden’s lips tensed as did his jaw when he swallowed heavily.  
“It has nothing to do with that”  
“Then please enlighten me. My father isn’t managing partner in a highly-regarded law firm Aiden, I need to work my ass off to get this kind of experience”

“This has nothing to do with my father and nothing to do with our relationship. This guy is bad news and I don’t want you working anywhere near him”  
“But anyone else would be fine?” she asked, taking a step towards him  
“Take your name off the list Emma”  
“No”  
“Fine, I’ll just veto you myself”

“That’s not fair”  
“It’s not about fair Emma, it’s about keeping you safe. Safe is away from a client like Mister Malcolm”

She balked at his infuriating response.  
“You don’t think of me as a colleague do you?”  
“Of course I do”  
“No, you don’t. I have been working my ass off at that place and it has not gone unnoticed, except by you. I have never asked you for anything to help me along the way, all I’m asking is that you don’t stand in the way of it”  
“I’m not discussing this anymore with you”  
“Since when did you become my father?”  
“Since when did you become so bull-headed?”  
“I’m a lawyer, it’s in my nature” she snapped back

She stomped around the back of the table towards the bedroom.  
“But I guess to you I’m just the piece of ass you’re tapping and not to be taken seriously”  
“I never said that” he retorted, lines fixed across his face  
“You didn’t need to. I’m not sure why I’ve missed it all this time” she spat bitterly before she retreated into the bedroom and slammed the door in Aiden’s face.

His eyes wandered over to the small woven cane picnic basket he had carefully packed only an hour before, filling it with pastries he’d selected from the small store down the road, where he had also nestled in between the delectable treats the small ring box. This had not been the way he had imagined this morning starting and the creases across his forehead showed the same.

“Fuck” he cursed under his breath as he smacked his palm down onto the table  
This was not at all how today was supposed to go.

**Before you let me throw this all away**   
**Before you let me say all the stupid things I’ll say**

**Take these arms and let them hold you tight**   
**Love you more than love could ever know**   
**I may fuck things up from time to time, but**   
**Don’t let me let you go**

**~*~*~*~**

Aiden was pacing the path between the table and the kitchenette, Emma had been in the bedroom for what seemed like an eternity, but when he looked down at his platinum watch he knew it had been about 30 minutes.

The door slid opened and Emma emerged, her eyes a little red and puffy and barely a swipe of the bold lip colours she usually wore. Her hair was swept back in a ponytail that seemed less neat than usual and she was dressed in frayed denim shorts and a black tank top.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his body poised in front of her path towards the door  
“Leaving, I managed to get on a flight that leaves in a few hours, I’ll wait at the airport”  
“Emma, that’s foolish, I have a plane, stay tonight we’ll leave in the morning like we planned”  
“I don’t want to stay with you Aiden. I want to go home” she side-stepped him and headed towards the door, taking a few steps before she stopped and turned “also I didn’t say this before because I thought it was a bit rude, but don’t ever call my roommate again and ask her to find my passport and pack me some clothes, it’s weird and clearly she doesn’t know me that well given I haven’t worn an outfit like this since college”

“You look cute” Aiden shrugged, his hand reaching for her arm before she jolted it away  
“Don’t Aiden, just don’t” she replied, rocking her head back and forth and she stepped away  
“Can’t we talk about this?”  
“Why? I think I know you well enough to know you’re not going to change your mind and I definitely know myself well enough to know that I can’t be held back by you, or anyone”

“If you would just hear me out, I have reasons, I-”  
“I get it, you have reasons, you don’t think it’s safe for me, you don’t think it’s a good idea, I get all of that Aiden, you made that pretty clear, but here’s a newsflash for you, I have done _fine_ on my own all these years when _I_ decide what is and isn’t safe for me. You don’t get to decide that”

“I was just looking out for you”  
“You think that; and maybe you were in this moment, but Aiden it’s more than this moment, it’s about the twenty more moments that will come after this one. It’s about every low-life client and every tough case that gets put on my desk. I can’t have you deciding which ones I can take and which ones I can’t” she stilled her eyes closed for a moment before she blinked back up, a hint of tears caught behind her eyes “ I want a career Aiden and it won’t come as easily for me as it did for you. I won’t end up at home with five kids and an empty law degree”

“That’s not what I was saying” Aiden pleaded as he followed towards the door  
“It didn’t have to be what you were saying Aiden, but we both know that’s where this is heading. So let’s just leave it here”  
“Please, don’t go” he breathed, watching as she opened the door and a honk from the waiting taxi filled the space between them

“I have to” she replied, holding back the tears as she folded in her lips

Aiden’s mouth fell open as he searched for words – any words – to say to make her stay, but he was left standing there, silently watching her leave.

  
**[April]**

Spring had just started to make its mark across the City, the heavy winter coats started to come off and the sun started to show the warmth of its face again. Felicity and Oliver still lived under a shroud of secrecy, only a select few knowing how they really felt about each other. It wasn’t the perfect arrangement – far from it, but it suited them well enough for now.

Leaks and stories abounded through webpages and tabloid magazines and there were instances where such things were not far from the truth, but nothing was ever confirmed and all speculation dangled from the chemistry they shared rather than actual facts. Facts they could hide, the way they looked at each other, they could not.

Oliver gave Chantelle what she wanted, he spoke of her with a level of familiarity in interviews, the distance in his vocabulary only apparent to those who listened hard enough. He allowed publicity for her insipid fledgling fashion blog to bank on his name.

The surface gave an illusion but behind that there was nothing more to it. Even Chantelle knew where his heart lay and it wasn’t with her.

Onscreen the relationship blossomed by what the viewers saw – although this would come to a screaming halt once the currently-filmed episodes went to air. The scene in the elevator had won them a trivial but fun award for best “onscreen lip lock” and Oliver had accepted it with great humorous fervour.

It was a double life built on a house of the unsaid, but there wasn’t a victim among them.

 

**[The Naked Truth]**

“Earth to Aiden” a voice echoed through his ear and a blurry hand waved in front of his face  
“You said something?” Aiden asked Colin who was hunched over his desk staring at him  
“I’ve been talking for at least the last twenty minutes, you’re supposed to be my oldest friend and I’m pouring my heart out to you and I’m getting nothing in response” Colin smirked as he tapped his fingers across Aiden’s desk  
“Sorry, my mind is elsewhere” Aiden sighed  
Colin looked over his shoulder then back at Aiden.  
“The pretty blonde in the bullpen out there” he nodded towards the open-space offices “that you’re trying, and failing I might add, not to stare at?”

Aiden blinked down, running a hand across his tried brow.  
“It has been weeks, you have this big case, you need to move on” Colin offered with a sharp nod  
“Why? Because I was a better person without her? Fuck Colin, I was barely pulling together a semblance of a life before she literally walked into me. I don’t want to go back to that place”  
Aiden opened his top drawer and took the small ring box from inside, placing it on the desk.

“I know what my life can be with her, why the fuck would I want to go back to seeing the pit it was without her?”  
“Is that?” Colin asked, his eyes wide with a look that bore a resemblance to trepidation   
Aiden nodded melancholy.  
“I know it’s completely brash and probably way too soon, but I saw it a while back and it just felt right, like no matter how many more hours or days or months or years that I spent just being in her presence I would end up here anyway” Aiden breathed out a heavy sigh

“So” Colin quipped, getting a blank stare from Aiden “tell her”  
“She doesn’t want to hear it” Aiden replied, brushing the ring box back into the open door before he slammed it shut   
“Then you really have nothing to lose” Colin shrugged

**~*~*~*~**   
**It’s hard to believe that beauty like yours**   
**Could fall for something like me**

“Did you see the latest buzz around?” Oliver asked as he stood next to Felicity at the fully stocked craft table  
“The blind about my girlfriend?” she smiled as she picked a few grapes from the bunch “or the one about me adopting your baby?”  
Oliver cracked a smile as his hand lightly brushed against hers.  
“Something like that”  
“So, which one is true?” she laughed, easing her body instinctively close to his  
“I was talking about the proposal one, you know I wouldn’t-“  
Felicity stopped his words with a smile.  
“I know, it’s okay Oliver, none of these rumours or blinds bother me. I know the truth” she paused to brush a palm down his neck “we know the truth”  
“And that’s enough for you?”  
“Yes. I’m not a victim or a pawn in this. I’m not some naïve fool who doesn’t understand the way the world works. You’re not taking my youth or stealing my chances at happiness, or whatever else anyone is trying to conclude. I’m happy”  
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you” Oliver smiled, his hand walking a slow, deliberate path down her arm  
“I know” she smiled as she kissed the words into his forehead

  
**[The Naked Truth]**

“What about Emma Casey? She’s put her name forward” a slender associate in a tight-fitting grey wool suit added to the conversation  
Aiden’s ears pricked up when he heard her name. His face twisted, fighting back the words – but still in the pit of his stomach, he just knew he needed to keep her away from this case.  
“No, absolutely not, who is next on the list Jared” Aiden replied, pressing his pen into the desk, the frustration clear on his face as he looked over at the associate   
“And why not? She’s shown remarkable progress within the firm” Jared continued, his eyes wandering across the list “there isn’t anyone else here any better”  
“She’s too young, too inexperienced” Aiden tapped his finger against the lip of the table before stretching out in his leather chair   
“You can’t be missing the plainly obvious here Aiden”  
“What other names do you have?”  
“Michael someone on level 8 but he’s older than most law books we have and some young guy called Parker who has literally never set foot in a courtroom” Jared sighed as he scanned the list  
“The young guy, I’ll take him” Aiden snipped, shuffling papers anxiously through his hands, he hated how much this was bothering him and he was frustrated he couldn’t let it go

“How are you not seeing the advantage Miss Casey can offer you?”  
“I don’t see one” Aiden replied, clearing his throat deliberately loud  
“She’s almost the exact age as the victim, she’s an attractive blonde. In fact her and the victim could be related”  
Aiden clenched his fist tightly around the chrome arm of the chair. He knew exactly what the implications of that were.  
“What’s your point?”  
“You put her next to the client and no one will notice he’s a misogynistic asshat. You sit her right next to that fucker and jury will assume he’s a respectable man. You have her interact with him at moment where you know you have the jury’s attention and they will lap that up. All she needs to do is sit there and look pretty”

Aiden felt the rage bubbling up through his body, unable to stop it before he slammed his fists into the table, causing everyone around it to jump.  
“Absolutely not”  
“Aren’t we taught us to use every card we have at our disposal?”  
“A woman is not a card to be played” Aiden snapped as he stood up sending his chair flying backwards  
“What the fuck is your problem?” Jared hiss back as he also lurched from his chair, their faces now dangerous close to each other as they bent over the corner of the boardroom table.  
Aiden met the man’s stare eye for eye.  
“Why don’t you ask me that again outside” he growled, his teeth grinding through each word

“Okay boys, let’s not get dramatic” Colin interjected as he tugged back on Aiden’s arm “you need to sit down” he added in a whisper to Aiden alone  
Aiden jerked his arm from Colin’s grip and paced over to where his chair had fallen.

“Are you really going to tell me that you haven’t used this exact tactic a million times before?”  
“Sit your ass down Matias, no one asked you” Colin snapped, his eyes jutting only momentarily over to the third voice that popped up  
“I’m lead counsel on this, I make the final choice. I said no, put the young guy on notice he better own a fucking nice suit. You can all piss off now” Aiden snapped as he picked up the chair and dropped it back onto its feet with a heavy thud

He watched with twisted eyes as the small room emptied.  
“Because that little outrage won’t have people talking” Colin jested as he pushed in the chairs alongside him  
“She’s not doing it”  
“Is that for the good of the case or for the good of you?”  
“Neither, it’s for her own good”  
“I’m pretty sure that you saying that is the reason she left your ass in Italy, am I right?”  
“That doesn’t matter, this guy is bad news and we won’t win this case. You think for a second he’s going to be happy about that? I’m not painting a target on Emma’s back, that’s the end of it”  
“If that was any other new blood, you know you would”  
Aiden sighed as he ran his hand across his crinkled forehead.  
“I know, but she’s not just anyone else”

**~*~*~*~**   
**[The Naked Truth]**

  
It was nearing the end of the workday for most people when Aiden finally sunk into his chair in his office and began sifting through the emails that had come in through the afternoon.

His brow furrowed as one particular one caught his eye. He opened it and his eyes darted across each line until he saw it.

_Junior Counsel Assist: Emma Casey_

“Fuck” he cursed under his breath, aware that his secretary Bev would be in the office in under a second with her swear jar if she heard him.  
He clenched his fist and bit into the side of it.

It took him less than two minutes to yank his door open and storm down the hallway to his co-counsel Jared’s office.

“I take it by the rage face, you saw the email” Jared snarked as Aiden appeared in his doorway  
“What the fuck Jared, I told you who I wanted, I will get your ass thrown off this fucking case”  
“Mind your swears Aiden, Bev has magnificent hearing” Jared laughed “but this didn’t come from me. I put the diaper-wearing newbie’s name in, but it was rejected”  
“By who?”  
Jared shrugged “how the fuck should I know, but it came down from top management so how about you ask dear old dad”

“This was his idea?” Aiden growled, his brow growing darker by the second   
“Look, I don’t know what kind of hard on you have over this girl, but shit Aiden the call has been made and it was one over your head. You ain’t going to change it”

Aiden clenched his jaw and pounded his fist against the side of his leg in a desperate attempt to stop himself from smacking the smile right of Jared’s smarmy little face.

He contemplated marching into his father’s office and demanding this change, but he knew that would serve no purpose. The decision has been made, the gavel had fallen.

**~*~*~*~**   
**[The Naked Truth]**

“I’m happy for you, if that’s what you want” Emma’s mum smiled down the phone line as she paced around her small mid-town apartment   
“Of course it’s what I want” Emma snipped as she balanced a pen on her fingers, her lunch from four hours ago sitting still untouched on her desk “it’s a huge deal to be on a case of this magnitude”

She heard her mother blow out a soft exhale and she could hear the words on the tip of her tongue.  
“Say what you’re dying to say mum” Emma sighed, her pen dropping onto the floor  
“I just think if he had a reason” she started, the hesitation etched in every word  
“He didn’t have a good enough one” Emma huffed as she leant down in the chair, stretching her fingers to reach the pen  
“Did you even hear him out? Because I know you Emma, you don’t often give people a chance to explain when you don’t like what they say”  
“That’s not true” Emma quipped, her fingers just grazing the pen before her foot slipped and kicked it further out into the almost-deserted common area of the bull-pen

“Oh bull, you’re just like your father in that respect, always trying to make a point”  
Emma’s bottom lip dropped into a pout as she stared at the pen now a seemingly insurmountable distance away.

“He doesn’t think I can handle it”  
“From what you’ve told me this client sounds like a horrible person”  
“So?”  
“So maybe he just wants to shield you from that darkness”  
“I’m a lawyer mother, I wouldn’t be here if I can’t handle some darkness”  
“All the same, I think his concern is sweet”  
Emma huffed her annoyance as she stood from her desk, the phone cord coiled around her index finger.  
“You’ve never even met him and you weren’t there, you didn’t see his face”  
“He’s used to arguing a point Emma, maybe he shouldn’t have said it or maybe he should have said it better, but do you honestly believe that he said those things because he doesn’t want you to succeed?”

Emma didn’t need the moment of silence she took to consider the question, she knew the answer before her mother had even finished asking it.

“No” she spoke softly, her eyes falling to the pen, simply for somewhere to look  
“So maybe give him another chance”  
Emma pulled her lip inwards and blinked softly. Her teeth chewed gently on her lip as her finger coiled further around the spiral phone cord. It was only when her eyes blinked up from the floor did she notice Aiden standing there, his shoulders slumped, his eyes drawn and tired. He was barely the shadow of the man that had originally been the wall-like character she ran into all that time ago.

“I have to go mum, we’ll talk soon” Emma spoke into the receiver, hanging up before she waited for an answer

**I’ll do my best to learn from these mistakes**   
**I may fail, but I will always try**   
**I will tell you every single day**   
**I plan on staying right by your side**   
**Staying right by your side**

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt”  
“It’s not a toll call I swear and even if it was, it would be okay because she called me so…” Emma blurted out, her head shaking in disbelief at the momentary word vomit   
A soft smile passed over Aiden’s lips.  
“I’m sure it’s fine” he replied, his voice a gentle tone as though someone might hear the uncertainty of his words despite there being no one in earshot

He stooped down and picked up the pen she had fought with before, holding it out to her.  
“You dropped this”  
“I know” she shrugged as she pinched the pen between her fingers “thank you”

“I wish I could take back pretty much everything I said that made you leave”  
“Why? Because it made me leave or because you were wrong?”  
Aiden blew out a soft exhale as his hand dropped away from the pen, leaving it in her grip alone.

“I just wanted to keep you safe, _want_ to keep you safe”  
“I don’t want to be safe Aiden. If I wanted to be _safe_ I wouldn’t have started this thing with you Aiden” she lay the pen flat on her desk and pushed her lips softly together before they opened to speak again “it’s my life, it’s my choice”

“I know, Emma, I’m sorry”  
“But it doesn’t change how you feel, you can’t shelter me Aiden. I’m either your equal or I’m not”  
Her tongue swiped slowly over her bottom lip, wetting it.  
“You stripped away the cocky bastard exterior, you were the first person to see me as something else, something more, Emma-“  
She raised her hand to stop him, her eyes pleading for a reprieve from his words.  
“Aiden, it’s better we don’t go back, there are a million reasons why we shouldn’t”  
“But there is one reason why we should”  
Her head tipped to the side as her eyes misted over “and what’s that?”

“Because I love you” he replied simply.  
He said it like it was fact – an absolute – and it was, it simply was.

Emma swallowed the lump that sat heavy in her windpipe as her lips stayed open and her eyes furrowed inward.  
“I’m sorry, I can’t” she breathed as she backed away, her hands fumbling over the strap of her bag that was slung over her chair

He desperately wanted to stop her as he watched her leave but by the time he found any words to say she was already gone.

  
**Take these arms and let them hold you tight**   
**Love you more than love could ever know**   
**I may fuck things up from time to time, but**   
**Don’t let me let you go**

**[May]**

His hands were around her shoulders, gently rolling his thumbs into the soft muscle of her shoulders. Her lips parted, her eyes stayed closed – eyelashes spilled across her blushed cheeks.

“You have amazing hands” Felicity smiled as her neck rolled gently side to side  
“You didn’t warm up properly before training this morning did you?” Oliver smiled, pressing a short path of kisses from one side of her neck to the other  
“I still beat you” she laughed, savouring the way his fingers felt against her bare shoulders with a soft moan  
“I let you win” Oliver winked as his long legs sandwiched her closer as they sat on the floor of his trailer, a show they were barely watching playing in front of them   
“Oh you did, did you?” she quipped, running the palm of her hand down the fine speckled-grey suit pants “to what do I owe such a surrender?”  
“The minute you kiss my forehead you could do or say anything you want and I will always let you win” Oliver spoke, the words softly against the back curve of her shoulder, his lips soaking up the light scent of her perfume that lingered there.

“Mmmm” she breathed, her eyes drifting slowly open “it was salty and amazing”  
She turned in his arms, his hands dropped down her shoulders, grazing over the capped sleeves of the little black dress wardrobe had dressed her in, the elastic around the neck of the dress snapping back up to the edge of her shoulders.

Felicity leaned her chest against his, her knees folded under her body, the nude heels she had been given sitting alongside Oliver’s leg. Her fingers folded through the lapels of the tailored jacket, dancing from the tips of it over to the creamy blue tie that sat against the backdrop of his crisp white shirt.

“If I didn’t know they would be calling us any minute I would have my way with you right here and now Oliver Queen” she smiled, her teeth snagging the corner of her plump vixen-red lips  
“Last episode of the season, last scene of the episode, are you ready for this?” Oliver asked, gently touching a finger to her adorned ears, the gold leaf earring rocking at his touch

“Absolutely, out with a bang” she smiled with a snappy shrug “but what will hiatus bring?” she asked as she moved her hands up his arms, leaving them to rest either side of his neck

Chantelle was due less than a fortnight from now and to Oliver it felt like his life was on hold until that moment.  
“I don’t know” he breathed – it was the truth “but I know we can figure it out together” – also the truth “If you’re still with me?”

Felicity nodded with short, quick bobs and a smile blossoming across her face  
“I’d follow you anywhere”

  
**[The Naked Truth]**

The meeting room felt crowded, it wasn’t particularly – only six of them in there in a room that could hold 20 – but there was something about Johan Malcolm’s presence that felt like he swamped the room.

Emma had taken the seat that Aiden had pulled out for her but Johan had not taken the seat Aiden had gestured him towards, taking instead the seat next to Emma, his bodyguard seated beside him.

She could feel his eyes watching her, hopping with lude thoughts down the neck of her scooped dress, the capped sleeves of which scouted just the edges of her shoulders. Her face showed the way she cursed her wardrobe choice for the day as she tugged nervously on the scooped neck, instinctively pulling it up in the hopes such a move would make his eyes relinquish their grappled glare.

“This is your best chance to shave a few years off” Aiden remarked, clearing his throat loudly to garner Johan’s attention   
The response came as a clear ‘no’ from Mr Malcom’s sharply twisted eyes.  
“I’m not going to jail for any amount of time because some dirty whore attacked me first, so do the job I pay you to do”

“With all due respect” Aiden spoke, his jaw tensed as he watched Johan’s eyes move back to Emma “self-defence really isn’t an option in this case”  
“Sure it is, the dumb bitch pulled a gun on me”  
“There is no evidence of that” Emma piped in, her interruption resulting in a soft shake of Aiden’s head – he had told her not to speak unless he asked her to – and an even heavier glare from Johan

“She ditched the gun” Johan shrugged “figure something out”  
“My colleague is correct, we can’t show any evidence about her having any weapon and you didn’t claim she attacked you first in your interview, the only way we can introduce something of that nature is by putting you on the stand, which we have advised, rightly, against” Aiden remarked

His eyes tipped slowly towards Emma who offered a small apologetic smile, Aiden was exceptionally good at his job and she knew she needed to watch and learn from him – that was, after all, what she was there for.

“And what do you advise Emma?”  
She shuddered at the way he said her name, the sharpness in the final syllable grating down her spine.  
“I agree with what Mr Richards advises you” she replied

She hadn’t meant to, but her hand reached out for his, somewhat instinctively, under the table, shielded by the frosted tint and the scattering of papers across it. However, perhaps even more surprising when her hand found his, his strong fingers grasped her hand in response.

Despite what she had said, she wasn’t ready to let go completely; and neither was he.

The commotion of noise sounded like it came from the street below and it was loud enough to snatch everyone’s attention. The five sets of eyes all looked up from their various tasks, some confused, others concerned.

Emma looked briefly at Aiden as the yelling became louder. Someone moved to the window to see if the origins could be traced.

And then it happened.

A loud, thumping bang echoed off the expertly decorated walls. The crack that followed sent everyone in the room to their feet.

There were screams outside the door followed by another even louder shot.

Aiden reached the door in two small strides but that wasn’t quick enough to stop it. The door flung open, knocking Aiden – despite his stature – backwards, his head catching the corner of the boardroom table, the impact stunning him.

“Aiden” Emma called as she rushed to broach the space between them  
Her advance was halted when her eyes fell onto the unforgiving grey metal that was pointing directly at her.

Emma’s eyes followed the gun up the trembling hand until they reached the face of a woman barely a year or two older than her. Blonde hair pulled back into a braid that looked slept in and hung over her shoulder. Blue eyes were dark, rimmed in eyeliner that had settled into the fine lines around her lids. Red patches marred her pale skin, showing the effects of sleepless nights.

The bruises had long gone and the cuts had healed over but Felicity recognised her all the same. It was Sara Cait.

“There you are, you stupid son of a bitch” she spat, her lips and eyes twitching with each word  
“Miss Cait” Aiden spoke softly as he slowly pulled himself up from the floor.

She turned around, kicking the door closed with her foot as the gun jolted towards Aiden.  
“You, put something against the door” she ordered, waving the gun back towards one of the other lawyers in the room

He nodded, taking a chair and manoeuvring it under the door handle before he raised his hands and backed away, his eyes locked on her.

“I’m sorry to involve you folks in this, but I don’t see any other option” she said as her wrist, the one holding the gun, rolled in small circles  
“Miss Cait, this isn’t the way” Aiden replied, his palms raised back towards his chest, his eyes focused on her  
“He’s going to get away with everything and I can’t let him, I can’t” she jerked the gun upwards and pointed it directly at Johan’s chest

Sara’s eyes welled with tears as her free hand pushed back hair that had fallen over her face. Her lips pressed together, pushing and trembling.

“Sara don’t” Emma pleaded as she took a step to the side, putting herself between the gun and Mr Malcolm

Emma saw the look on Aiden’s face – a mixture of confusion and absolute horror.  
“Emma” he whispered   
She managed a small ‘I’m okay’ nod in response.

“You would protect this bastard?” Sara spat, the gun waved around Emma’s chest  
Her eyes tracked the movement of the dull grey metal before she looked up to search the desperation in Sarah’s eyes.  
“No, I couldn’t give a fuck about him” Emma replied, stiffening her shoulders  
“So move, let me shoot him and you can go home”  
“I’m standing here to protect you”  
The words made Sara’s head pull backwards.  
“I don’t understand”  
“If you shoot him then your crime will mask his, you’ll lose your freedom, the life ahead of you”  
“He took that from me already. I can’t breathe without smelling him. I can’t close my eyes without hearing the sound of my bones shattering. I hear myself screaming and see myself dying”

Sara’s eyes squeezed closed, hot tears burning hateful tracks down her cheeks.  
“I’d only started working at that place for a month, I was just trying to pay off some debts, I was clean and I was trying to start fresh but that was the only place hiring” her free hand brushed away tears as her body shifted from one foot to the other “I figured a few months and I’ll be done, I can find a proper job and then this fucker shows up”

The gun shook in her hand as she gestured it towards a peak of Johan cowering behind Emma.  
“After what he did, I lost my job because it was a bad look for the place. I don’t have insurance so I have more bills than I’ll ever be able to pay. I got behind in my rent so they kicked me out. I lost everything, but I can still make him pay”

Sara raised the gun, but Emma stood firm.  
“Emma” Aiden hissed, begging her with his eyes to back away   
“Is that your name, Emma?” Sara asked, her hand still raised with her finger on the trigger

“Yes”  
“And you’re willing to die for him, Emma?”  
“You won’t shoot me Sara”  
“How can you be so sure? You don’t even know me”  
“Because if you wanted to, you would have already”  
“He’ll hurt other women you know, he’ll be back out on the streets”  
“No, you can put him away Sara. Get on that stand, let the jury see you, they’ll believe you”  
“And why is that?”  
“Because, I believe you”

Sara’s arm faltered a little, the gun dropping just a fraction.  
“You do?” tears fell steadily from her eyes  
“I do. Stand up and be the voice that other women need to hear to stop men like him”  
Emma heard the growl of displeasure rumbling from the coward behind her, but she didn’t care.

Aiden saw the look that Johan Malcolm gave his burly bodyguard and after that split second tip of his head everything else went in slow motion.

The heavy-footed barbarian lurched forward from behind but Sara caught his reflection in the glass and spun to the side. The bodyguard grappled with her arm, stumbling so he had no leverage over the surprisingly strong girl.

Aiden moved, his arms outstretched, reaching for Emma with every fibre of his being.

The gun went off in the struggle.  
The pop ricocheted off every surface.  
It went off again, and then a third time.

Aiden pushed Emma as the sound of the shot still rung in her eyes and she stood frozen.

Glass shattered as a bullet pierced the window.  
The sudden burst of air blew the papers from the table.  
Heavy footsteps rumbled against the floor where Emma found her ear pressed, her body pinned to the ground.

A gas canister erupted nearby spilling a thick cloud of gas.

Police in riot gear stormed the small room and called out instructions that Emma couldn’t decipher.

She watched as Sara was slammed to the ground. She couldn’t see the gun anywhere but she saw the slither of gratefulness written in the young woman’s eyes.

It was only then that Emma realised the heavy weight that was holding her down was Aiden. She smiled as the smoke around the room dissipated and she looked down to find his body shielding hers, his arm wrapped protectively around her.

She jostled underneath him expecting him to look up with a tentative smile on his face, but seconds came and went and he didn’t move.  
“Aiden?” she breathed, a sharp breath of air filling her lungs  
“Aiden?”  
 _Nothing_.

Paramedics surrounded her and rolled Aiden onto his back. The sight of deep red blood spreading across his white shirt made her insides twist and her whole body convulse in shock.

His eyes were closed and his soft lips gently parted. If it were not for the blood staining his clothes she would have sworn it was just a morning after a night spent together and he was asleep beside her.

“Ma’am you’re hurt” a voice spoke from beside her  
She looked up at the paramedic and shock her head “no, I’m fine”  
“There’s blood on you”  
She looked down to see the blood seeped into her left arm, the same arm that had been pinned under Aiden. She starred at it for stretched out seconds. It wasn’t her blood, it was his.  
“It’s not mine” she whispered as she ran her fingers through it

Her eyes tracked back to Aiden as his tailored jacket was torn from his body and his shirt cut open with speed but not finesse. She sat up, tucking her legs along beside her. The paramedic urged her to leave, but she couldn’t, she couldn’t just leave him.

She scooted a little closer and reached her hand out to his, her fingertips reaching into the palm of his hand as tears started to well up from behind her lidded eyes.

The gurney came and his body was lifted onto it, taking his hand from her reach.

And then she saw it.  
A small box and a folded note spilled from his pocket. She scooped them into her hands as she stood and watched them move him quickly from the room.

The paramedic caught her arm as she went to leave. She turned, shooting him a desperate look.  
“I have to go, I have to go with him” she pleaded  
“You’re hurt Ma’am, please”  
“I’m not, I told you that’s not my blood”  
Her eyes trailed down her right arm and she watched with a strange fascination as a river of slow moving red made its way over her smooth skin. The blood was moving. Her eyes twitched as they walked slowly up her arm.

_That was her blood._

“You’ve been shot, in the shoulder, we need to take you to the hospital”  
She ignored him, opened her palms and looked down at the box and note she had trapped there. She put the small box on the table as papers flew hauntingly across it.

Emma unfolded the note and read, hearing his voice in her mind

_Emma, will you marry me?_

_I know I’m supposed to say all the clichéd romantic things to you first, before I ask you that question, but no matter how many times I wrote out this script nothing ever seemed to say what I needed it to say._

_I won’t offer you lines that say how much you’ve changed my life, because all you would need to do is look at me to know that’s the truth._

_I won’t tell you that I was lost before you, because I don’t want to think about a time that I didn’t know you._

_I won’t promise you that I’ll always have the right words to say, because more often than not when I see you I lose the ability to speak._

_I can’t promise that I won’t make mistakes, I probably will. I’ll say stupid things and I’ll probably fuck things up sometimes, but when I do take my arms and let them hold you because I will love you with a ferocity that I will offer to no one else and I will hold you when you ask and even when you don’t._

_I will give you the world if you’ll let me._

The note was dated the weekend they had flown to Italy.

Emma blinked up, her tears like waterfalls down her blushed cheeks. Her lips quivered and the paper shook in her trembling hands before it floated to the floor.

**-Fade to Black-**

There was a chorus of applause when cut was called for the final time as a collective sigh filled the set. Felicity smiled, toying with her glasses as an assistant with a fist full of makeup wipes walked towards her. She twisted her head and walked her tongue through the trail of fake blood down her arm.

“That’s disgusting” Oliver cracked a smile as he walked towards them, casually patting his own blood stains.  
Before Felicity could come back with a witty response a young assistant ran up with a phone in his outstretched hand.  
“Phone call for you Oliver, they say it’s urgent”

Oliver took the phone with a slight look of foreboding, it was late in the evening and he wasn’t expecting a call.

Felicity watched as he nodded and ‘uhuh-d’ through the conversation, ending it with a “I’ll be there as soon as I can”

“Is everything okay?” Felicity asked, her hand absently touching Oliver’s shoulder.  
Oliver looked at her, his eyes brimming with a look she couldn’t quite place.

“Chantelle’s water broke” his voice trembled and the colour drained from his face “I should go, right?”  
He knew the answer himself but he desperately needed the reassurance of one he trusted.  
“Absolutely you should” Felicity replied, her lips coiling into a soft and assuring smile “It’s the right thing to do”  
“But what if it’s not mine?” Oliver asked, his voice cracking   
“But what if it is?” Felicity spoke calmly “You can’t let a what if steal this moment from you because it’s one you won’t get back. If this child is yours, everything else aside, you need to be there”

The pain was digging at Felicity’s soul to imagine Oliver having a child with someone else, but she wouldn’t let that show because she knew this moment wasn’t about her or them, she knew what Oliver needed and that was the soft tone of her voice and the assurance that this wouldn’t break them.

“What about you, about us-“  
She stopped his words with a lingered kiss to his cheek.  
“There will be time for us another day. Go Oliver, you need to” she breathed as she slowly pulled her lips away from him.

He nodded and stepped away, a smile finally gracing his lips but one that was full of anxious nerves.  
“And Oliver” Felicity called as she watched him walk towards the door  
Oliver turned, his eyes welcoming her to continue.  
“Get changed before you go” she laughed lightly as she pointed down to the blood stains on his shirt “don’t go to a hospital like that”

**~*~*~*~**

  
The birth had been, in medical terms, unremarkable, and Oliver’s mind lay focused on the child that had taken his first breaths a few hours ago. A blood sample had been drawn and even though he was somewhat terrified of the results, Oliver found himself bonding in the quiet moments with the small boy as Chantelle slept off the epidural.

Tiny fingers wrapped fully around his little finger as wide blue eyes starred up at him. Tiny lips folded over with abandonment and tiny breaths made his entire body expand and deflate in a way that had Oliver completely mesmerised.

Only a few minutes ago he had laid the boy gently back into the crib as he was handed an envelope containing the results that had him trembling at the thought of them.

The silence between Chantelle and Oliver was almost deafening as two differing paths hinged on the results contained within.

Oliver drew back a breath, holding it deep within in lungs as his chest tightened. He lifted the flap of the unsealed enveloped and pulled the results from inside. The sound of the paper unfolded rung out like a freight train barrelling through his brain.

His eyes searched the paper, just finding black letters that become jumbled in his visions. He stopped when finally he saw the words he had been looking for.

“I know that I’ve lied about a lot of things” Chantelle spoke from the bed, rustling the pillows behind her “but I didn’t lie about this Oliver”

Oliver let go of the breath he had been holding, closed his eyes and took three small and shallow breaths before he opened his eyes again and stepped closer to the bed.

“I didn’t lie about this, about your son” she repeated, her eyes tracking from Oliver to the small crib set against the window  
“I know” Oliver nodded “I know that now”  
The child was his.

**[5 Days Later]**

Oliver rocked Levi slowly in his arms as he trotted around the private hospital room. Chantelle and he had barely spoken about where things would go from here. They had reached somewhat of a quiet truce, neither really offering anything to the equation.

Felicity had, graciously and with a soft dignity, given Oliver space he had not asked for. She had told him softly one night on the phone as he poured his anxious heart out to her that _he would make the right choice because he was a good man._

It had been hard for Oliver to see how she could believe that, he had made more mistakes than he could count and he was certain he wasn’t done making them in life, but he found a calming peace in her words and she had told him to spend the time with his son, that that was a bond to be built before all others.

And now – even without a plan or an idea of one – it was time for them to leave the hospital.

Chantelle emerged from the private bathroom, her face perfectly primped and her handbag slung over her shoulder.  
“Are you ready to go?” Oliver asked as he reached for the diaper bag  
“I’m not going with you Oliver”  
“I don’t understand”  
“Look me in the eyes and tell me that you love me” she sighed

Oliver blinked with heavy lids as his head shook back and forth. He couldn’t say it, because it wasn’t true.

“We both know that if I tell you that it will be a lie. If we walk out of this room pretending that we’re something that we’re not then it will only ever be a pretence, a perception built on the idea that we’re happy, when we’re not” Oliver spoke, his hands smoothing over the soft fluff of hair on Levi’s head

“Our lives would end up a charade of Roombas, social engagements and staged photographs and I don’t want that. I know you don’t want it either. Whatever there is to gain from that pretence, there is so much more to lose. We aren’t happy together, we never will be”

“And that’s why I’m not going with you, because I guess I’ve always known that”  
“I won’t let this happen I’ll fight for my son”  
“I know that too, which is why he’s staying here with you”

“I have things I want to do with my life and this wasn’t part of the plan”  
“Do you have somewhere to stay?”  
She nodded slowly, folding her hair behind her ear.

“I know people will judge me for this, I just hope for his sake that it doesn’t come from you” she spoke calmly as she patted down the sides of her dress “maybe we can work together to make this look a certain way?”

“I’m sure we can” Oliver replied, his tone as reassuring as it could be “are you sure this is what you want to do”  
He watched her nod “I think for once I’m finally making the right decision”

She left the room without another word.

Twenty minutes later found Oliver standing outside, the mid-afternoon sun warming his face as she stepped out into it. A soft breeze filled with the smells of a flourishing spring waved across his face as he looked down at the sleeping baby in the carrier.

He wasn’t sure where this life would take him now or what new challenge would face him. He did know that this wouldn’t be perfect and there would be some stumbling along the way. But, regardless of those missteps or the unsureness that lay ahead Oliver made a promise that day, whispered in the ear of his sleeping child

_No matter what happens, I won’t let you go._   
_I may fail, but I will always try_   
_We’ll be okay._

And as he took a long breath and stared down at the number he was about to dial on his phone – _Felicity's_  – he knew that to be the truth.

_They would be okay._

 

**~The End~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you:
> 
> A big thank you to everyone who took the time to read this little ‘I know exactly what this looks like’ story – it evolved from something off-handed and a little ‘in disguise’ to something that I grew very fond of.
> 
> I absolutely adore that characters of Emma Casey and Aiden Richards (the names still make me laugh) and to branch out into something unrelated (in parts) to that of Oliver/Felicity was challenging but fun. Long live Emden 
> 
> I know you didn’t get an “end” to their story as such – but Aiden is fiiiiiine and they probably make up and eventually get married, I’m pretty certain Aiden doesn’t have a love child he lies about…..it’s a TV show but in this case you get whatever ending you want (see what I did there?)
> 
> ~From my dumpster to yours  
> Thanks for reading  
> xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, would love to hear your thoughts in whichever form they take.
> 
> My slight OCD also requires I reply to every comment, so there is that....
> 
> Twitter: @someonesaidcake


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